Betrayal
by Dawn Ruthless
Summary: His eyes showed all of the emotions he felt toward the girl, but she only had one emotion in hers... Starts of pretty much the same as it was in episode 2.12, then changes into my own storyline further in
1. Betrayal

**Yeah, I can't write romance or action or anything so I am writing angst. So…Enjoy!**

From the very first time he saw her, he knew there was more to the raven-haired beauty than caught the eye. She was beautiful beyond compare and being a man, that was obviously taken into account. But he also noticed her independence and her strength of gaze that held him in place and made a smile form on his lips as she walked past in the banquet hall. However, the strong gaze wasn't a cruel one, it was merely a smile to show that she was confident and could take care of herself. A woman who could make him laugh when she manipulated people into doing her will or beat the prince of Camelot in a swordfight. The very opposite of him. He hadn't even met the woman and she had already taken a place in his heart.

It wasn't much longer until he saw the other side of her as well. The side of her that was nothing more than a scared young girl that the boy felt the need to protect. A girl he wanted to hold close until her tears faded away. He saw the girl who did everything she could to protect her maid's father when he was sentenced to death for aiding a sorcerer and was more torn than the maid when she failed. A girl more innocent than he could ever be.

The boy would make up the most ridiculous excuses just to see her and yet still couldn't admit how he felt. Not even to himself. His master saw it warned him against the path he was taking but the boy would not take heed to his words. Still didn't realize.

His guardian told him about the dreams. Told him about his fears of what the girl would become. The boy wanted to help, but was cautioned against that which he wanted most by forces stronger than even his own great destiny. He tried to help the girl by sending her to others like her but it was not enough to save her and he could only watch as the innocent girl slipped away from him. He could only watch as her face grew pale and tired from lack of sleep and he could only watch as the fear that had pervaded her for so long changed into emotions so wrong and yet so fitting. Anger. Hatred. Confusion.

The knights of Medhir came to Camelot under the influence of Morgause and he was told that she was not alone. He was told that there was another force a part of this plan and there was only one way to stop her. The boy felt anguish stronger than any he had felt in his life and yet he had to do it anyway to save Camelot, to save the other half of his coin, because of the prophecy told by an ancient being. _His destiny._

It was only as she was gasping for air, as he grasped what he had done, that he finally realized. He loved her. He loved her spirit, her kindness and even her dark side. He was killing her and he had no choice.

_Morgana._

Tears made tracks down his face as he turned to look at her. His eyes showed all of the anger, pain, shame, horror, love and guilt that he felt toward the girl, but she only had one emotion in hers.

Betrayal.


	2. Limp

**Okay I now I said I was going to write this chapter from Morgana's point of view but I only have had two reviewers and one of them said he was reading it because it was from Merlin's point of view. So I apologise to any readers who wanted to see it written from Morgana's point of view and I hope you keep reading anyway. **

**Dedicated to ****LA73c0mer**

Merlin's Pov

_I couldn't hold in my tears as I held the dying girl in my arms. I could only watch as her face grew pale and lifeless. I was only just able to bargain with her life before Morgause took her away. _

A year passed slowly, as search parties were sent out continuously, only to come back in failure…or not come back at all. We still had no word on Morgana and I felt both upset, angry and relieved at the same time. Upset at the path destiny had put us on. Angry with myself for following it and relieved that I didn't have to see that betrayal in her eyes after what I had done. When Morgause saved her, she would have become someone different. She wouldn't be the kind and caring girl that was put on the wrong path with her fear and confusion. She wouldn't be that girl anymore. Despite this, I didn't let myself to think of the alternative. That it might have been too late. That Morgause might not have been able to save her. That Morgana had died. Murdered by my hand.

I sat morosely on a horse as the rain came down on me and soaked me through, sending a deep-rooted chill in my bones. My eyelids drooped and I couldn't shake the thoughts of bed from my mind. We crested a hill and I was instantly awake as I looked across the seemingly endless plain, filled with the bodies of the dead. I saw Arthur's sharp intake of breath, so much like my own and his eyes filled with sorrow.

"Check for survivors!" He called out to the knights and followed his own advice, kneeling down to check the pulse of a man at his feet. He didn't show any physical reaction when he found none, but moved onto the next person, his face growing graver with every person he touched. He finally gave up and stood.

"It seems our attackers headed north. Come on!"

I looked around uneasily and stepped up beside Arthur.

"Do you think we should be going after them?" I asked.

"You are such a girl's petticoat." He said, but the insult was half-hearted as he mounted his horse and started riding. I sighed before following him.

We had been riding for hours when I couldn't stand the silence any longer. Even the arguments were better than being left with my thoughts and I started fidgeting and complaining.

"Ow."

"Is there something wrong with you?" Arthur asked, annoyed.

"Yeah, I've been sitting on a horse all day." I said dryly.

"Is you're little bottom sore?" Arthur asked sarcastically.

"Yes. It's not as fat as yours." Well, that was mostly true.

"You know, you've got a lot of nerve…for a wimp."

"I may be a wimp, but at least I'm not a dollop head." I said triumphantly, managing to push a decent amount of sadness into the back of my mind.

"There's no such word." Arthur said superiorly.

"It's idiomatic."

"It's what?" He asked disbelievingly.

"You need to be more in touch with the people."

"Describe dollop head." He demanded, dragging out the last two words.

"In two words?"

"Yeah."

"Prince Arthur."

Before he could come up with a suitable comeback, a rustle came from the trees and Arthur gestured for the knights to stop before dismounting. We looked around warily as we came upon a campsite and walked through it slowly. Arthur motioned silently to some of the knights and they moved of in other directions. Suddenly an arrow came out of nowhere and skewered someone in front of us and we looked around in shock.

"On me!" He shouted and raised his sword just in time to deflect an oncoming blow and dispatched the man quickly. I saw Arthur being surrounded and grabbed a sword from the side of one of the tents only to have it knocked out of my hand within ten seconds. Now defenseless, I resorted to magic as a bandit raised his sword up for the killing blow.

"_Ecg geteoh ping to_." I whispered and all the metal in the campsite came flying over and attaching itself to the bandit's newly magnetized sword. He fell backwards and I grunted in satisfaction. However, it wasn't long until another bandit came at me with an axe and I could only dodge franticly as he swung at me repeatedly. He seemed to get frustrated at my evasive action and sent a full blooded swing towards me. I dodged again and thanked my good luck when it slammed into a tree. My eyes glowed with magic and the axe went further into the tree, which proceeded to fall over and crush the man underneath it. I winced and jumped up. I needed to get to Arthur. I tripped once again and looked up in time to see _another _bandit sneaking up behind Arthur. I did _not_ poison the girl I loved for a destiny that would not come to be. I looked around desperately and my eyes settled on a spear lying discarded in the dirt. My eyes glowed again and I sent the spear into the mans stomach. Arthur looked around and seemed surprised that he wasn't being attacked anymore. His eyes landed on me lying behind a tree and looked away in disgust.

"We're not playing hide and seek Merlin." He said annoyed and I tilted my head to the side in frustration as he walked away.

"Dollop. Head." I repeated, enunciated each word.

We ambled along tiredly as we tried to get used to the loss of energy from the fight. We heard twigs cracking an a bird flying and instantly swung toward the sound. A shadow came towards us through the fog and Arthur lifted his sword and walked forwards. The figure became clearer and my eyebrows came together as dozens of emotions passed through me. Pain, joy, sorrow, relief, anger and worry. Unclear though they were, I would recognize that person anywhere. Long wavy hair, black as sin, and a body as perfect as the day I had first seen it. But as the figure came into the clearing, I noticed finer details. The hair was clumped and knotted, evidence of struggle. An originally beautiful dress was now ripped and dirty. But as the woman turned towards us, finally entering the clearing, I saw that it wasn't the worst of it either – the graceful stride and calm expression had been replaced with a stumbling limp and a panicked face, covered in grime. The figure looked at us for a moment before her legs gave way and she collapsed. Before I realized what I was doing, I was across the clearing and catching the unconscious girl in my arms. I looked down at her face as she hung limp in my arms.

_Morgana._

**A bit longer than the last one yeah? And I now that the dialogue was exactly the same as in the real episode "Tears of Uther, part 1" But I have now reached the stage where I am veering of into my own storyline. I am not going to threaten people and say I am not updating until I get reviews, but I mean it when I say that they **_**do **_**motivate me and convince me to write faster. So, if you feel like it, press the little blue button below. =P**


	3. No Longer

Weeks past slowly as the kingdom rejoiced at the return of the Lady Morgana. She made me believe that she had had repented of her ways and forgiven me for my betrayal…until she turned on Camelot again. As I watched her remove the Mandrake root from Uther's bed I had felt a rage so intense that I barely felt like myself. I followed her from the castle, only to be led into her trap. She looked down at me with scorn written all over her face.

"Did you really think I was that stupid Merlin?" She had asked. I didn't know the answer anymore. I tried and failed to run from her and her half sister but was caught before I could run a hundred feet, before being chained to the forest floor.

"Can you leave us Morgause?" I had never heard Morgana's voice so full of authority and contempt.

"Of course sister." She knew that Morgana was probably going to exact some terrible torture on me, and didn't care at all. What was more, she probably enjoyed the idea. Morgause left and Morgana turned to me, graceful even with her face cold and her eyes filled with malice.

"You poisoned me Merlin." Her voice was cold, uncaring, as if it were someone else speaking.

"I know." I whispered, my voice the very opposite of hers, she didn't even seem to hear me.

"Not only that," She continued "But you couldn't even kill me like a man. No, you had me drink poison, knowing that I would trust you enough to drink it. You are a coward and a traitor." Now her voice was showing some of her pain and sadness, as much as she was trying to hide it.

"Yes." I said simply. She heard me this time and rounded on me to put her finger in my face.

"Is there nothing else you can say Merlin. Are you so pathetic that you can't even apologise. You say you were wrong but do you mean it. Or are you just trying to save your own skin once again?" I finally couldn't stand it any longer.

"Do you think I wanted to?" I screamed. "Do you think I wanted to sacrifice my best friend, committing the most unthinkable atrocity I could possible imagine because she betrayed everyone she had grown up, swearing to protect?" My voice had gone soft by the end, but was no less vehement for the fact. Morgana was the opposite and now it was her turn to start shouting.

"I didn't know! I didn't know the sickness was because of me and I never had the chance to find out. You talk about betrayal Merlin, but you now nothing of it. Betrayal is not watching someone lash out at those who hurt them. Betrayal is trying to hurt those who trust and cared about you, without them understanding why. Betrayal is poisoning your friend and watching as she gasped for air, as poison seared through her veins and having the nerve to hold her as she died by your hand." Her voice was a mere whisper by then and Merlin couldn't speak for a moment. The forest was silent as the pair stared at each other, one with anger and one with sorrow. Merlin broke the silence as he choked back a sob and broke the silence that pervaded them.

"You may have been healed of the poison Morgana, but you still died that day. The real Morgana is gone." Morgana looked hurt by his words, even as she fought to conceal it. She clenched her jaw and got right into his face.

"Maybe so. But remember this Merlin… you were the one who killed me. You made me who I am" She finally seemed to have enough of this conversation, ashamed at letting her emotions get the best of her.

"You are going to pay for what you did. You hurt me Merlin, and now I am going to hurt you, just like you deserve."

"The Morgana I know would never kill her friend, no matter what they'd done." I said, with the heart wrenching knowledge that Morgana was well and truly lost. Her lip curled as she looked at me and started to walk away from me. With each step, her shoulders straightened as she returned to her mask of confidence. Just before she crested the slope, she turned back to, her eyes once again cold and forbidding as she spoke once more before leaving me to the Serkets.

"I am not the Morgana you knew. And you are no longer my friend."


	4. Far too late

I escaped from my bindings with the Great Dragon's help, but I didn't feel any better for it. I remembered both the old and the new Morgana and put their faces together in my mind and couldn't help noticing how different they were. The features we the same of course, but it was the way that they were used that rendered them unrecognizable from each other. One was filled with caring and compassion, softened by the smile that graced it as she stood in full battle wear, preparing to fight for me and the little village of Ealdor. The other face was a picture of evil and malice, her eyes cold and a wicked smirk crossing her face as she left me alone to be killed by the Serkets. Relishing in my fate. I shivered as I woke, the remnants of my nightmares flooding my mind. They weren't like Morgana's dreams. They weren't prophecies of the future, but memories of the past, good and bad. All of Morgana. Even riding the Dragon back to Camelot wasn't able to keep my mind of the situation for long. Morgana had betrayed us again, planting the root that would tear through Uther's very soul, leaving him madder than he already was. Leaving him broken…Until I destroyed it.

I was pulled into an alcove by a surprisingly strong grip on my arm. I knew who it would be even before I saw them. Morgana seemed to have this weird fascination with pulling me into these little nooks. She was glaring at me with hatred but I could also see confusion permeating her features.

"I don't know how you managed to escape." She hissed. "But I do know one thing; if you breathe a word of what you saw, I will make your life a very short and painful one." I had no doubt she could do so. She did it everyday just by reminding me of what I did to her. When she continued speaking her voice had changed, it was now a calm voice with the undertone of treat that would come from someone who was confident in her own abilities. Her eyebrows came together in mock worry and a smirk appeared on her full lips. "Just think how Uther would react if he learnt that a _servant boy _had tried to poison his beloved ward?" I kept my face calm even as I fought myself internally. She had changed so much, and was willing to hurt so many people to get what she wanted. She was now fighting against everything I stood for, and turning her back on everyone who cared for her. I could only watch as she stepped out of the alcove, walking away without glancing back, leaving me with my troubled thoughts.

I lay in bed that night, wondering as I always did, if there was anything I could have done differently. Anything I could have done to stop Morgana turning into this cold and bitter shell that was a constant presence now. Anything I could have done to help the girl I lov- I stopped my thoughts there. I could not have these thoughts now or I would never be able to protect Camelot from the threat of Morgana. I gave up on sleep and rose out of bed, giving into the insomnia that had plagued me since that fateful day over a year ago. Walking silently through the corridors, I tried to block my mind from any thoughts of Morgana, something that was sure to fail when I spotted her leaning against a window frame. Her body language was so different to what I had grown used to these past weeks, and even before she left. Her posture was diminished, her shoulders sagging and her head bowed. I held back and watched her, marveling in the rarity of such a sight at the same time that I found myself loathing it. Gone was the Morgana of old, who would hold her head high during any situation. In her place was a broken girl, a fading echo of the woman she once was. I thought I was imagining things when I saw the small glisten of a tear on her cheek before she straightened up suddenly, her bearing once more regal and condescending.

"Spying again Merlin? I thought you would have learnt your lesson last time." She didn't look at me as she said this, but her voice was filled with disdain. How did she always know? I know I was completely silent when I found her here.

"I'm afraid not, but then you would get bored wouldn't you?" I was surprised that I managed to joke in a situation like this. Morgana rolled her eyes.

"You know what. You're right. I would be less fun not being able to think up ways to kill you." She said and I sighed.

"You don't believe that Morgana. You may want to kill me, yes, but I know that's not what you sent all your free time doing." I frowned, as I just realized that I didn't know what she did in her free time any more, and I could hardly imagine her casually picking flowers in a meadow or gossiping with the other woman of the castle, although I doubt she ever did the latter. I was suddenly hit by a strong urge to know.

"What do you do, when you aren't planning your evil plots Morgana?" I asked bluntly and she looked at me incredulously.

"What?"

"What do you do in your free time?" The strength of my gaze seemed to unnerve her but she didn't let her cold exterior slip.

"Why do you care?" She asked heartlessly. I opened my mouth and then realized I didn't have a reasonable answer.

"I don't know." I admitted in a whisper.

"Then why ask?" She was whispering too now.

"I don't know." I repeated. "Just curious."

"That trait is what is going to be the death of you. That, or your tendency to betray your friends." She turned to leave but I reached out and snagged her wrist, noticing for the first time the large bags under her eyes, identical to mine. I thought that the healing bracelet Morgause had given her had stopped her dreams? Maybe she was having doubts aswell. But Morgana was never one to have doubts and I found myself dismissing such thoughts. I stepped closer to her and realized as I did that she still hadn't removed my hand from her wrist. Despite dismissing my earlier thoughts, I couldn't help the small threat of hope within me, so I leaned over to Morgana and whispered into her ear, my breath raising Goosebumps on her neck. She shivered.

"I'm sorry Morgana." My tone rung with the honesty of my declaration and Morgana's bottom lip quivered as she looked up at me. She pushed away now, removing my grip from her wrist and turning her back on me once more.

"It's far too late."


	5. Real

Morgana had joined with Morgause to attack the kingdom _again. _Skeletons were going on a rampage throughout the castle and Arthur was fighting for his life. I ran through the hallways, unable to the girl after she had escaped from Gauis. I ran through another corridor before coming to an abrupt stop, my head jerking backwards as a powerful magic became active. I gasped and made my way to the source.

I skidded to a stop below the castle and the raven haired beauty turned away from the odd stick in front of her to face me. A smirk crossed her face and all remaining emotions from that night had been washed away.

"You should leave now while you still can." Her voice confident.

"Morgana _please, _I beg you." I made my way around a stone pillar and she quickly moved to block my path to the stick. "Women and children are dying, the city will fall!"

"Good." Her voice was cold and uncaring and shuddered.

"No, you don't mean that." Despite everything I told myself. That Morgana was gone, I still couldn't help the words escaping my lips.

"I have magic Merlin." Her voice low.

"That doesn't mean you have to use it like this!" I cried, trying to get her to understand

"Uther believes that magic is evil and executes us for it, so why not use it as he believes?"

"Because you are better than him!" I shouted, my fists clenching.

"Which is why I must do this."

"No." I said in denial. I took a stepped towards her and she took a step back, managing to keep her façade up. I frowned. Was it just me, or did the light on the stick flicker. I decided to find out, and held out my hand towards Morgana watching as she shimmied out of reach, the light definitely flickering this time. I needed to distract her enough so that the stick would lose its energy and fail. I stared at Morgana's face closely and realized that even through her mask, she didn't look scared. The emotion forcing her to step away from me seemed to be something else entirely. My mouth gaped as I realized the most likely explanation. Morgana looked confused at my expression but I just shut my mouth and gazed at her intently. I stepped towards her again, but she seemed determined not to show weakness this time, and didn't move away. She stood stiffly as I took another step…and another, until I stood right in front of her, my height meaning that I was leaning over her.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her voice cracking. I was not an arrogant man, but I swore I saw Morgana reach her hand out to mine before pulling it back quickly.

"Saving you from committing an atrocity you will regret forever."

"I am not going to regret anything." She replied indignantly. I didn't answer but instead leant down to press my lips to hers, her soft lips cool against mine. She tried to pull away from me but I just pulled her closer, my lips pressing against hers urgently until she gave in and kissed me back. The light from the stick flickered and died, but I didn't pull back. This was something I had dreamt of for so long and I wouldn't give it up so easily. Morgana finally seemed to gain her senses and her eyes flashed gold, causing me to fly back through the air and slam into the wall. I dropped to the floor and groaned.

"How dare you!" She screeched, her eyes flashing again, pulling me to my feet again. She grabbed my collar and pushed me against the wall, but she made sure to keep her face well away from mine. "You _dare _to kiss me after all you have done!" She may have been angry enough to kill me but all I could thinka bout after our…encounter was how soft her lips were, and how her eyes filled with lust even as she fought desperately to repress it.

"You kissed me back." I reminded her, the corner of my mouth twitching at the memory.

"I did not!" She denied heatedly.

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Child."

"Life's much more fun that way." I said with a cheeky grin and she pushed me away in disgust. She turned around and a horrified cry escaped her when she noticed that her magic stick had failed while she was um…distracted. She rounded on me again and pointed her finger in my face.

"You used me!" Her eyes swelled with tears and I could see that she still cared despite the stony exterior she showed everyone.

"You will pay for this." She spun on her heel and turned to leave the room but I grabbed her waist and pulled her back. I looked her in the eye as a small blush coloured my cheek.

"It may have helped me save Camelot," I started. "but the kiss was still real."

**Okay I hate doing this guys, but I have written three chapters without a single review, and my hits are going down fast. It seems that my story is losing popularity and if I stop getting reviews I might have to end the story and continue with my more popular Skulduggery Pleasant stories. (Although I way prefer writing these) So if you want me to continue, please click the little blue button below **


	6. Fall

**Dedicated to Spells-of-stories**

I was left in troubled silence as Morgana left the room agitatedly. When she disappeared around the corner, I slumped back against the wall, my heart racing as I raised a hand to my lips. I could still feel the touch of Morgana's lips as I kissed her, and even more, as she kissed me back. I put my head in my hands as more flashbacks from the past flashed behind my eyes, appearing and then disappearing as fast as they came. Morgana laughing, her long black curls framing her kind face. The scene changed; Morgana still stood there but now her lips were curled into a vindictive smirk as she left me for the Serkets. It flashed back to an image of Morgana's face smiling at Arthur while she teased him, at the same time that she was helping me protect my village. A final picture crossed my mind, but unlike the others, this one lingered. My memory showed me a picture of Morgana crouched on the ground, her hand climbing up to her throat as she gasped desperately for air that would never come and her eyes screaming betrayal.

"No!" I shouted in my head as well as out loud. I jerked out of the memory and bashed my head on the wall behind me. I groaned and felt a soft hand touch the back of my head and then pull away quickly. I let my head fall to the side so that I could see them and flinched when I saw Morgana.

"Why are you back?" I asked haltingly. "Decided to finish me off now?" Morgana pursed her lips at my questions but did not lash out as I expected.

"No." She said softly. "I saw your memories. They were loud enough that even though you don't have magic, they were strong enough to enter my mind"

"And so you are going to use them against me?" I guessed, glad that she hadn't noticed my flinch at the mention of my lack of magic.

"No!" She said, exasperated. I could only look at her, confused by her motives.

"What then?"

"I want to ask you something."

"Ask away." I said with a small hesitation. Morgana looked up me at me through long lashes.

"If you cared about me so much, then why did you let me fall?" She asked quietly. I cast my eyes at the floor.

"I tried Morgana, but there is only so much I can do for someone who doesn't want help."

"What are you talking about Merlin? Of course I wanted help!" She said angrily, but I didn't rise to the bait and kept my voice calm.

"No Morgana, you didn't. You came to us begging for help but then rejected the help when we tried to give it. The only person you ever let help you was Morgause, and we both know that wasn't the best idea."

"Morgause saved me! She saved me after you _poisoned _me Merlin." She had stood up by now and was backing away from me.

"Morgana, wait!" I called, having déjà vu from that night when she came to Gauis' chambers, searching for help. It was at that moment that I realized that Morgana was right, at least in part. The one time she had come for help, I had pushed her away, ensuring she didn't ask for help again. Just like last time, she ignored me as she made her way to the exit. I ran after her and grabbed her arm.

"Please don't leave." I murmured, she ended up in my arms without me understanding how it happened.

"Merlin, let me go." She said, but her actions defied her words as she sunk into me. "It's not right." Even as she said this, a crackling power encased us both and she tilted her head towards the side and moved her head closer to mine.

"Not. I most definitely is not right!" A voice came from behind us and we separated in time to see the fog fading from around a blonde woman in full armor. She was glaring at the both of us, as well as taking in the damage to the magic stick.

"Morgause." Morgana gasped, recognizing the woman first.

"Morgana." She said scornfully. "I see you have betrayed me already, and to the coaxing of a _servant. _The servant who tried to kill you." While she was still talking, she sent a fireball in Morgana's direction.

"No!" I shouted and jumped in front of it, falling on top of Morgana as the fireball singed my shirt and about 20cm of skin. I cried out in pain but had enough sense to roll of Morgana so that I wouldn't crush her.

"Fool!" Morgause shouted and her eyes flashed gold as she sent me flying into yet another wall. I fell to the floor, my limbs twitching as they fought the pain encompassing them. My chest lifted and I groaned but Morgause's attention had already moved on from me. Morgana's however, remained on me, shocked and grateful.

"So sister, this is how you repay my care." At Morgause's voice, Morgana turned back to face her. Morgana's eyes filled with fury.

"Care? You turned me into a monster!" She screeched, and her eyes widened in horror when she realized what she had said, and the truth behind it. She continued however, although her voice was more subdued. "You convinced me to turn against my friends, who had only ever tried to help me. That is not what I consider a caring sister." Morgause's eyes narrowed.

"And the boy over there." I was only just able to pick up Morgause's words through my pain-induced stupor. "Poisoning you is his way of showing you he cares I guess." Morgana's eyes turned dark for a moment before she shook her head of any angry thoughts.

"He did what he had to do to save Camelot after I almost destroyed it through _your _magic." Morgana's rage was strong and with a gold flash of her eyes, a broken piece of masonry flew from the floor towards Morgause. Morgause held up a hand and the piece of granite stopped just a two feet from her face.

"I see you still haven't learned control sister." She smirked and turned the block around, sending it towards Morgana, who narrowly dodged it. The distraction was sufficient however, and Morgause used the opportunity to mutter a few words of the old religion and all of the broken rocks on her side of the room lifted in the air. Morgana saw what was happening and her eyes widened, but with the unpredictable nature of her magic, she could do nothing as Morgause gestured with her hand, sending the blocks towards Morgana. My mind suddenly sharpened and my eyes flashed, slowing the world around me. I lifted my hand, ignoring the magnitude of the pain flashing through it, and shouted a spell, causing the rocks to change direction and shooting them back at Morgause, her face barely able to register surprise before they forced her against the wall, her lifeless body falling to the floor. My whole body shook from the effects the large amount of magic had on me in my weakened state. I looked at Morgana, registering her lip trembling as she coped with the information and yet another betrayal by me. I sent her a silent apology, just before everything went black.

**I always wanted Merlin to reveal his magic to Morgana by saving her with it, and so here you have it. I would also like to send a special thank you to all of my reviewers, who have made me believe that my story is worth writing and motivated me to write sooner. For this, I present to you, my longest chapter yet. **


	7. Exposed

**Thanks to all my awesome reviewers, I have got yet another new chapter up quickly. I hope you enjoy it.**

I woke to a deep throbbing in my head and I gasped as it pulled me back into reality. I looked around me, sitting up suddenly when I remembered everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, ending with me revealing my magic to Morgana. I tried to stand and ended up having to lean against the wall to keep my balance as the room spun. I closed my eyes until the dizziness passed and then let go of the wall, grateful when I was able to stand unaided. Determined, I started walking, ignoring the body of Morgause and continuing out the door.

I knocked on the door and it opened to reveal Gwen who looked at me worriedly.

"I'm sorry Merlin. She's really upset right now and she won't see anyone." She said and I frowned. Had Morgana told Gwen about him.

"Did she tell you why?"

"No. It's her business and if she doesn't want to tell me then I won't make her."

"Of course." I murmured, and then said louder. "Can you ask if she will talk to me?"

"I can ask, although I doubt she will change her mind." She turned around to talk to Morgana but Morgana beat her to the punch and screamed at me through the door.

"Go away Merlin!" After Morgana had stopped yelling, Gwen turned to me in confusion and a bit of anger.

"What did you _do_?"

"Nothing." I said, hurt.

_Liar._ I stiffened as I heard the voice in my head, clear as a bell. I easily recognized the owner and concentrated as I spoke to her in return.

_Morgana?_ Even in my thoughts I could sense her derision.

_So this is why you were able to make your memories so easily heard before. _I bit my lip as I sense her hurt.

_Yes._

_You betrayed me again Merlin. You are never going to stop, it is what you do best after all. _Now I could sense her bitterness and I could hear her quiet sobs in her room. Instead of arguing with her, I just agreed with her.

_I'm sorry._

_Go away Merlin._ She repeated.

_No, we need to talk._ I thought forcefully.

_There is nothing to talk about._ I realized I was still standing silently in the doorway to Morgana's room and blushed.

_Come on Morgana. Gwen is looking at me funny._

_Good. _She said curtly.

_Don't make me come in there._

_Don't even think about it, I do not want to see you Merlin, and I am in no mood for your games. Leave me. _

I sighed and looked at Gwen.

"Excuse me." I said, and ducked past her.

"Merlin no-" She started but I was already talking to Morgana.

"You are going to come with me, or I will make you." I said with a small smile. Morgana just glared and made no move to get up. I took a deep breath and turned to Gwen.

"Please don't react the same way Morgana did." I begged.

"About what?" She asked, curious. I ignored her and turned back to Morgana and held my hand up in her direction.

"ásælan híe fæðme ond céacbán!" I hissed and suddenly Morgana's angry and hurt expression turned into one of surprise and when she tried to talk she found she could not. "I warned you." I stepped towards her and lifted her light body off of the bed, carrying her with ease. She tried to struggle but was unable to move her arms and thus resorted to kicking me, which I endured calmly. I walked past Gwen who only seemed to be capable of staring. Whispering another spell to help me go unnoticed, I left the room with the first lady of Camelot cradled in my arms.


	8. Forgive and Forget

**I had actually written this chapter yesterday and was going to wait before I put it up so soon after the last one, but I got impatient so…Tada, here is the final chapter of the story, I hope you enjoy it.**

"Let go of me!" I smiled in grim amusement as Morgana yelled at me. As soon s we were a safe distance from the castle walls I had removed the magical fetters on her jaw and instead bound her legs to stop her from kicking. I don't know what's worse. I ignored her rants until we reached a huge clearing, where I released the magic holding her and was pushed to the ground in her haste to escape.

"Morgana, please. I need to show you something." I pleaded, as she was about to run.

"More secrets?" She asked bitterly and I just nodded grimly. Then when I saw her attention, if grudgingly, I looked for the place deep inside me and found a strong ebb of power, passed down to me from my father before he died. A strong rush came over me and I arched my neck, and I let out a loud roar, similar to that of a dragons. I shouted a handful of sentences in the language of magic and then waited, Morgana watching me warily.

"What are you doing Merlin?" She asked, and I looked at her in profound sorrow.

"Showing you the reason why I couldn't tell you of my magic."

"There is no excuse for what you did." She said angrily and I had to agree with her, because that was something I believed myself. I looked at my friend, so filled with hatred and bitterness and wished I had told her of my magic earlier, in hope that it might have saved the lonely girl underneath.

When she didn't get a response from me, Morgana huffed and began to walk away with me pursuing her before we were both being knocked to the ground by a tremendous force. I looked around to the see Kilgarrah settling behind us, his expression resigned until he noticed Morgana beside me. In less than a second, his demeanor turned into one of pure fury and a ferocious tongue of flame erupted from his mouth, heading for Morgana. I jumped in front of Morgana quickly and held my hand in front of me quickly, instinct taking the place of a spell I had no time to vocalize. With a flash of my eyes, a large dome erupted from my hand the flames were absorbed by it until the Great Dragon snapped his jaw shut in defeat.

"Why have you brought the _witch_ here Merlin?" I glared at the dragon and stepped towards him threateningly.

"She's not a witch!" I shouted.

"And I had thought you had learnt your lesson when I had to save you from the Serkets." He seethed.

"_He _saved you from the Serkets?" Morgana whispered behind me and turned to see her pale face even whiter as usual as she tried to stand on shaky legs. I helped her up and she accepted it, not realizing what she was doing at first. I pulled her to a standing position and she looked at our intertwined hands and understanding dawned on her face before she pulled her hands away harshly.

"So you are even more powerful than I thought Merlin. How does this change your _newest _betrayal, apart from making it worse?" She hissed. I turned to the dragon and looked him square in the eye.

"Tell her."

"I will not. She will destroy you and everything we have striven to create" The dragon said contemptuously and I felt rage building up in me. I shouted in rage and shouted again in the language of the Old Religion.

"Tell her." I said, imbuing the words with my power as a dragonlord. The dragon snarled.

"Very well, young warlock. But remember this, the evil that will follow this is of your doing, and yours alone." He warned and I snorted.

"Yeah, you say that every time. Now tell her!" Kilgarrah growled again but followed my command and told Morgana everything, from my destiny to his words of warning concerning Morgana. Morgana no longer looked frightened or shocked. No, now she looked _mad._

"You did this?" She screeched. "_You _made him lie to me. _You _made him poison me?"

"I stand by my decisions." He said superiorly and Morgana glared, her eyes flashing gold in her anger. I may have been stronger, but Morgana was still powerful enough to knock the Great Dragon onto his back. He was up quickly though and sending another wall of fire at Morgana, which I deflected.

"Enough!" I shouted and they both froze in their stances and turned to me. The dragon gave in first and turned back to glare at Morgana.

"I will let you by this once witch, because I know you let your emotions control your magic and because Merlin is sure to kill me if I killed you."

"Self centred beast." She sneered.

"Witch." He shot back.

"Children." I said, finishing the matter look. The both huffed and turned away. My confidence ebbing quickly, I stepped past Kilgarrah with a quick look of warning and put my hand on Morgana's shoulder. She flinched but did not move away from the contact.

"Can we forgive and forget?" I asked softly. She stayed frozen for a moment before letting out a low sigh.

"I can forgive you Merlin, but believe me, I will never forget."

"I understand." I went to say more but Morgana was qucker.

"I can forgive you Merlin, but will never forgive _him._" She jerked her head towards the Great Dragon.

"Nor do I want your forgiveness witch. If it wasn't for Merlin's power as a dragonlord you would be but a pile of ashes by now." As the great dragon continued to threaten Morgana, my rage grew until it overflowed and I spun around to face the dragon, my hand outstretched.

"I said _enough_!" I roared and allowed my magic to rush out of me, my eyes changing to gold and the dragon's jaw clamping shut as I bound it with the same spell I had used on Morgana earlier, albeit a far bit stronger. The dragon stared at me in anger but I was finished. The dragon could be a great help to me of times, but when he came to Morgana, he continued to go too far.  
>"Leave." I said simply and he just nodded and opened his wings, beating against the air as he flew away. I released the spell went back to Morgana.<p>

"I really am sorry." I told her honestly.

"I know." She said softly and this time, she was stepping towards me, her arms circling my neck as she pressed her lips to mine.

**I want to thank all of the people who have read and reviewed my story. You have made writing this even more enjoyable than it would be normally. I hope you will all read my Mergana fanfics in the future.**


	9. Learning by Candlelight

**I'm back everyone! I'm still alive! (Although some may wish otherwise) and here is a little (or not so little) gift for you!**

Morgana had been very kind and forgiving when it came to my magic, but I was still able to see the unconscious flicker of mistrust and betrayal in her eyes when I performed a spell. They were small and fleeting, but they were there and I knew that only time would remove those looks completely. In the meantime I showed her how much she meant to me at every possible opportunity. I would leave flowers in her room like I used to, as well as little notes and other small gifts. Despite her small moments of uncertainty, I could see that Morgana cared for me and I couldn't get used to the bright smiles that would light up her face when I entered the room. I couldn't get used to it, but I am glad that I would have the opportunity to try. It had been weeks since the incident with the Great Dragon and Morgana was gradually learning to trust me, especially as I taught her magic and helped her control her powers. I was inexperienced when it came to a seer's power though and was therefore unable to provide the knowledge that could stop her nightmares, something that saddened me immensely. I tried my best though, and now when she had a nightmare, she had tamed her powers enough that she didn't set the room alight or break any more vases. I was wary of putting any sleeping spells on her either, as I didn't know what side effects that could cause due to the magic behind her visions, and so she still woke up screaming.

We were in another one of our lessons and I was trying to teach Morgana to try and light a candle to a normal level, and not high enough to light up the curtains. The candle sat on the table between us and I watched intensely in case the candle flared up to much or was in danger and melting both the candle and the table. I smiled as she hissed in frustration after failing for the seventh time.

"Calm down Morgana, you can do this." I smiled again and waved my hand over the candle. "_Forbærnan_" I said clearly and the candle lit up instantly_. "ácwencan"_ I murmured and the candle was extinguished. Morgana watched in annoyance.

"It's easy for you to say, you've been doing this longer than I have! I know _you _can do it, you don't have to show off." She whined. I rolled my eyes at her antics.

"I am merely showing you that it is easy, it has nothing to do with my experience."

"It is not easy!" She cut in and I waited patiently for her to calm down.

"You didn't let me finish. It is easy to do, but you don't think you can and that hinders your abilities." I said seriously.

"I never said that!" She exclaimed and I was the one who cut in this time.

"You don't have to. I can see it in your eyes Morgana. I am sure you would have done this before with Morgause…" Morgana's expression darkened but I continued before she could interrupt. "…So what makes you think you can't do it now?" I questioned. Morgana looked down at her hands and hesitated before answering.

"I don't know. It's like it was easier before, when I had a purpose for my magic, as evil as that purpose had been, but since that purpose is gone, what use is magic to me? How can I perform a spell if there is no use for it?" She whispered, still looking at her hands. I grabbed her chin and gently lifted it, so she would have to look me in the eye.

"Your magic does have a purpose Morgana, and you know it. It's purpose is to help protect others, and to fight the people who seek to destroy them. It's purpose is to do good and help bring magic back to Camelot! You can do great things with your magic Morgana, if only you would believe that you can." I spoke quietly, but earnestly, and seeing my words getting through to Morgana, I continued.

"Think about it! We could change the world with our gifts. We could change the kingdom so that no innocents would be executed for practicing magic! We would help Arthur in his quest to unite Albion and bring about the Golden Age. The age of peace! You can help to bring this time around Morgana, and I will be beside you every step of the way."I said earnestly, willing her to see the future I know will come to be. Morgana's eyes welled up with tears and she threw herself across the table to kiss me. I kissed her back eagerly, as desperate for her touch as she was for mine. Eventually I forced myself to lean back, grinning at her pout.

"Come on Morgana, try again. Believe in yourself." Morgana nodded at my encouragement and closed and eyes, a furrow forming between her eyebrows as she concentrated.

"_Forbærnan" _She murmured quietly, her eyes opening and flashing a deep gold. The candle flashed to life in front of her delighted eyes and she shouted in triumph before cutting the sound of in case a guard should hear.

"You did it!" I said, stating the obvious.

"I did it…" She whispered, her eyes glazed. I smiled and stood up to retrieve the spell book from her dresser, hoping we could go onto something more difficult. As I was walking back to the table, I stumbled over my own feet as normal and managed to knock over an expensive crystal bowl that sat on the side of the table. The bowl had been moved to the side to make room for our lesson, and was now flying through the air destined to have a very messy end. That was, until I stopped it with a flash of gold eyes and a little bit of magic. I heard a gasp and turned to Morgana to see her staring at my display of magic, shocked. I cursed, realizing that my instinctive magic might have frightened her. The distraction caused me to let go of the magic and the bowl fell to the floor, shattering into pieces. I sucked a breath in through my teeth, wondering at the cost of the bowl I had just destroyed.

"Don't worry." Morgana whispered. "We have plenty more around the place." Her eyes had glazed over again and I reached over to touch her cheek, glad that she didn't flinch at the contact.

"Sorry." I said miserably.

"About what? I can just get another one." She said dazedly.

"No not that, I mean…" I trailed off, not wanting to say that I was sorry for scaring her with my instinctive use of magic. "Never mind." I muttered, dropping my hand and crouching on the ground to pick up the glass. Morgana regained her composure and knelt down beside me. She tried to help me pick the glass pieces up but I shook my head and grabbed the hand reaching down for a large shard.

"No, I got this." I told her, ignoring her protests. I grabbed some of the glass and placed it inside the half of the bowl that stayed intact. It was when I picked up the last piece of glass that I felt the sharp sting and looked down to see blood oozing out of a gash in my palm, caused by the broken glass. I winced and Morgana was instantly at my side, taking the bloody piece of glass out of my hand and putting it with the others. She then grabbed my hand and was surveying the damage when there was the sound of pounding footsteps and a knock at the door.

"Milady! Are you alright? I heard a smash coming from in here." I assumed it was a guard, checking on Morgana's welfare. Everyone knew of the king's devotion to his ward, and if it were found that she was injured on a guard's watch, there would be heavy punishment. Although I'm sure the guard would do it anyway, no one had noticed the few months of odd behavior from Morgana and everyone loved her.

"I'm fine!" Morgana called back. "I broke a bowl, but I've sorted it out now." There was a pause.

"You should have called us milady. We could have disposed of the glass for you, we don't want you injured by the glass." She grinned at Merlin and looked meaningfully at his sliced hand, but then a expression of irritation crossed her face at the thought that she needed protection from some broken glass.

"Not necessary. The glass was disposed of without any harm to myself." She replied, careful not to overemphasize 'myself', glancing at Merlin again, who rolled his eyes. There was another pause.

"If you're sure milady, but if you ever need help, don't hesitate to call on us."

"Of course." Morgana said, sounding grateful, although her expression was exasperated. There was a final pause before the sound of receding footsteps echoed down the hallway outside the door.

"Honestly! As if I couldn't take care of a bit of broken glass by myself, I am not that incompetent. And if you _ever _call me milady, I will personally beat you to a pulp." She said angrily, completely missing the amused look on my face.

"Charming." The amused look was gone by the time she turned back around but her gaze zeroed in on my hand, dripping blood onto the floor.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry. I can't believe I forgot about that, I'll find a cloth." She said, moving quickly. She tried to step past me but I grabbed her arm with my uninjured hand, making her stop her anxious search.

"Wait." I said quietly, pulling her back over to the table. I said down on one side and made her side down impatiently on the other. I laid my hand palm up on the table and told her to hold her hand just above the cut. She obliged, seeing where I was going.

"Now say _gelácnian._" I instructed. Morgana closed her eyes again, opening them just before she said the spell.

"_gelácnian!" _She said, the power in her voice making me shiver, but it was a good feeling. My hand itched and I watched as the wound sealed over.

"See? Not so hard." I smiled again, and Morgana lowered her hands so that they were resting on mine, intertwining our fingers together. Of course, that had to be the moment that Arthur burst in. He takes in the scene before him and his eyes widen in shock and his jaw went slack.  
>"Don't you ever knock!" Morgana growled, pulling her hands away from mine. I pushed my self out of the chair immediately.<p>

"Arthur, this isn't what it looks like!" I said desperately. My nervous voice seemed to snap him out of his trance and he turned on me, finger in my face.

"Oh, I think it is exactly what it looks like. I come in here to tell Morgana that Gaius wants to apologise and find myself interrupting something between Morgana and someway _way _beneath her in rank." He said, stressing the 'way'.

"What did Gaius want to apologise for?" Morgana asked, confused. Also, it would give her time to make an excuse for them both. Arthur turned to her and was eyeing her suspiciously.

"He's sorry that he hasn't sent your sleeping draught. He has made a new remedy for you to use for your nightmares, but Merlin hasn't been in yet…" He turned to glare at me. "So he sent _me _up here with it. I had to a servants work because the servant who was _supposed _to do it was sneaking around with the king's ward instead of doing his job." He said, pointing an accusing finger at me. I saw an excuse and I grabbed at it with both hands.

"But that's what I was doing!" I lied quickly. "I was bringing the remedy up here; using initiative you know."

"And the hand holding?" Arthur asked smugly. This time it was Morgana's turn to step in, in case my terrible attempts at lying gave everything away.

"Merlin broke a bowl as he walked past." Morgana said calmly, indicating the broken bowl. "And I tended to his wound. We can't have him trailing blood around the castle now can we?" She asked, talking to Arthur as if he were a child. Arthur looked mad but then pursed his lips and looked at Morgana speculatively. Her cheeks were red, and he probably thought it was from anger, although I knew it was most likely embarrassment at being caught. Also, she was practically glowing, as she did every time we spent time together, but being Arthur, I doubt he caught onto that.

"Okay." He said abruptly, and turned to leave the room. I looked at Morgana in confusion, surprised by Arthur's sudden change of attitude.

"That's it?" I blurted out without thinking. Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. It makes sense, so why would I not believe you Merlin? Now I need you to come and get me another blanket. I was cold and my servant wasn't in his chambers where I could easily find him." He said meaningfully.

"Didn't you think of getting the blanket yourself? The store room is a lot closer than Gaius's chambers."

"Well how am I supposed to know that? It's not my job to fetch the bedding." He said, miffed. I raised my eyes to the ceiling.

"I'll go and fetch them now then, shall I?" I asked, knowing the answer already.

"Yes Merlin. That would be good." He replied sarcastically. I sighed internally and turned to Morgana and bowed formally to her.

"Milady." Morgana's eye twitched and I held in a smile as I left the room.

I heard Arthur step out behind me and hoped he had given Morgana the sleeping draught despite the fact that he thought I had already done it. If not, Morgana would not get any sleep that night. I was so lost in my thoughts that I was startled when Arthur spoke from so close beside me.

"You may or may not have delivered that new remedy, but I know she was not tending to a wound Merlin." He said in a low voice.

"She was." I argued, because it was true.

"Merlin, stop lying to me! You haven't even got a cut on your hand, so what would she be tending to?" I was left speechless as I tried to think of a way to deny his impeccable logic. His warrior instincts noticed everything.

"Um…"

"Don't lie to me Merlin." He repeated. "I am not going to scold you." He began, and in a brief moment of kindness, he said, "I was just concerned about you. Morgana used to be the type of woman who would play with a man's emotions but not glance twice at them. She would leave them broken." I didn't miss that he spoke in past tense.

"It's not her fault that they only look at her beauty." I said angrily, before I could stop myself. Arthur held up a hand to stop me.

"I know that, but I thought the same thing was happening to you, but then I saw the way you two look at each other, and knew what the other was thinking without saying a word. And I saw Morgana. I have never seen her so happy before; she was practically glowing." He said incredulously. I was surprised that Arthur even noticed Morgana's happiness. He seemed to sense that as well because he looked hurt.

"She's like a sister to me Merlin, of course I noticed." He said seriously. "And I noticed that you were good for her, just like she is good for you. You look as happy as her." I looked at Arthur in a new light. I had never seen him acting so maturely before, or even this understanding.

"I thought you would be furious if you found out." I admitted and Arthur smirked.

"Oh I was at first. I was going to kill you myself." His smile dropped and he hesitated. "but you two are perfect together and I will not be the one to tear you apart."

**Oooooh, caring Arthur. Who would have thought? That was more than twice as long as any of my other chapters! A bit boring but there will be more action later on I promise. I have it all planned out, so all I need is some motivation to write(wink wink, nudge nudge. Little blue button anyone?) Hope you enjoyed!**


	10. Her choice

After the close encounter with Arthur, Morgana and I agree that we must be more careful with our meetings, and it works to an extent. No one has caught us using magic yet, although there have been a few close calls. I was currently in the middle of one such moment as a guard stopped me on my way to Morgana's chambers.

"What is you business on this side of the castle?" He asked gruffly. I stuttered with my words as I tried to give an excuse.

"I, uh. I have a, uh, sleeping draught for the Lady Morgana…uh, sir." I fumbled in the pouch at my waist until I pulled out the tiny vial I always carried with me now. I desperately tried to keep the book I had hidden against my back from fallen out of its hiding place as I handed the vial over for the guard's inspection. He glanced at it then waved his hand.

"I believe you. You had better hurry up then and do your job before Arthur decides to give you more chores!" He said laughing and I pursed my lips. It seems Arthur's reputation for mistreating his servants had spread. Although he had seemed nice enough the last time he caught me and Morgana together, but I didn't say any of that of course.

"Of course sir." I said hastily, and stepped around him. I had only gone about two steps before the book I had managed to keep hidden fell out from beneath my clothes and landed on the floor. It landed face down and I winced as the bang echoed around the hall. The guard turned back.

"What's that?" He asked, gesturing to the book on the floor but making no move to pick it up. "Why were you trying to hide it?" He asked suspiciously. I thought quickly and then hung my head like I was ashamed.

"Prince Arthur doesn't like me reading sir. He thinks it's a waste of time that I should be using cleaning out the stables." There was a pause and I tensed as I waited for the guard's response.

"Don't tell him I said so, but I think he is wrong. I think it is a good idea to maintain your literary skills, if you have them. As long as it's in your own time of course." I looked up at him, surprised that he would take my side against that of the Prince.

"Really?" I asked intrigued.

"Really. But if you tried to tell him I said so, I will deny it and have you put in the stocks." The tone was light and joking but I still couldn't be sure if it was a serious threat or not.

"Of course sir." I repeated and picked up the magic book hastily, making sure that the guard didn't see the cover. I turned around and kept walking quickly to Morgana's chambers.

"What took you so long?" Morgana asked agitatedly. I made an apologetic gesture and sat down wearily.

"Sorry, there was a little incident with a guard." I told her sheepishly. Morgana rolled her eyes.

"Should have known." I laughed at her statement and beckoned for her to join me at the table. I grabbed her hands in mine as soon as she sat down, with a smile still lingering on my face. I pulled one hand free so I could sit the magic book on the table and flick through it. I came to a spell and laughed at the irony.

"This one is perfect for you." I said dryly and turned the book around so she could see it. The spell was designed to put out fires, magical or otherwise. I had actually used it during one of our lessons, but hadn't thought to teach it to Morgana. Morgana's happy expression faltered for a second and I silently berated myself. _Why did I say that? That fire in her room terrified her. _

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking. We'll try something else." I said hastily, trying to grab the book back of her. She held onto it firmly.

"No it's fine." She said, the smile back in place, though it didn't reach her eyes. "And you're right, it's perfect for me." She leaned over the book to read the spell, trying to memorize it to heart. I couldn't help noticing how her silky black tresses framed her face and tumbled over her shoulder. Nor could I look away from her perfect face, full red lips, and beautiful emerald eyes, contrasting perfectly with her pale skin. I so desperately wanted to kiss that skin, and those lips… My hand twitched with the urge to touch her cheek but I restrained the desire. Morgana needed to concentrate right now and that certainly wouldn't help. I saw her lips twitch as she tried to hold back a smile.

"You're staring Merlin." She said, still not looking up. She seemed to find it harder to keep in her smile now, and she bit her lip. Didn't she realize how attractive it was? Didn't she realize that she was driving me mad?

"Merlin." She repeated, looking up now. I realized that I was still staring and looked away, focusing on the book with great intensity.

"Have you got it?" I asked, still staring at the book. Morgana chuckled before answering.

"Yes Merlin. You can look at me again." She said, amused. I eagerly let my gaze wander back to her and her eyes twinkled with amusement. She waved her hand over the candle, whispering _'forebearnan' _before concentrating. She stared at the candle and held her hand directly above it, just far enough away so as not to be burnt.

"_Ácwencan." _She said, with perfect pronunciation and her voice resonating with power. The fire went out. I looked at her in amazement, before switching my gaze back to the candle and back to her again.

"Wow. First try. Impressive." I was about to say more when I realized there was someone in the room gasping. It wasn't Morgana and so I turned around and searched for source of the noise. I finally spotted Gwen standing in the corner, a tray of food clenched so tightly in her hand that her knuckles had turned white. Her face was almost the same colour, pale and scared. It took me a moment to realize why she had that expression on her face. She must have seen Morgana to do magic! I looked back at Morgana and her expression matched how mine felt. I still hadn't confronted Gwen about the time she had seen me do magic but I knew she hadn't told anyone considering I was still alive.

"Gwen." I said quietly, reassuringly. "We aren't going to hurt you." Gwen's eyes flickered to me for a second before switching back to Morgana. She finally seemed to get the strength to speak.

"You have magic." She whispered, lip trembling as she stared at Morgana. "All these years, and you never told me." She broke out into sobs; shock, hurt and fear all coming together to make her collapse onto her knees. Morgana and I were at her side instantly, arms wrapped around her, trying to comfort her. She flinched away from our comforting hands and pushed herself backwards, away from us. I could see Morgana was hurt by her friend's reaction but tried not to show it.

"I'm sorry Gwen." She said, her voice breaking.

"We are still the same people we were before. You can still trust us." I added.

"How can I be sure of that Merlin? You are the same as the first day you came here, and that is why I haven't told Arthur. Yet." She turned to Morgana in fear. "But you aren't Morgana. You used to be the kindest, most loving person I knew, and now you are cruel and cold. At least I know why now." She whispered, a fresh flood of tears running down her face. Morgana's face was agonized.

"I'm am so sorry. I really am. I was scared Gwen, and I took the only path I could see at the time." Gwen looked like she was about to say something but Morgana continued before she could. "But then Merlin brought me back. He showed me the wrong in my actions and I see now just how foolish I was being. You can't understand how much I regret everything." She cried. I realized how similar these words were to the false lies she told me when she first came back to Camelot and I realized how much more genuine she sounded now. I couldn't believe I had fallen for her lies in the first place. Gwen looked at Morgana, fear warring with her instincts. Past experiences have taught her that magic is something to be feared, while her heart knew that Morgana was telling the truth. I decided to go one step further and dropped the bomb.

"I poisoned Morgana, Gwen. I poisoned her and she was still willing to forgive me… After a little prodding of course." Gwen looked at me sharply.

"Why did you poison her?" She asked angrily, forgetting her fear for a moment, in favor of protecting Morgana.

"Morgause put an enchantment on me which allowed the knights of Medhir to live." She explained, ignoring my urgent gestures for her to stop. "I didn't realize I was the source, but Merlin did and poisoned me to rid Camelot of the knights. Another thing he has done for everyone here. If you can't trust me, then at least trust Merlin. He has saved you all more times than you can count."

"And Morgana has helped me many times as well, with her visions, or by helping us fight."

I looked at Gwen, again fighting to decide what she should do. If she should go to Arthur, or if she should trust us. She closed her eyes for a few minutes and when she opened her eyes again, I could see she had made a decision. I waited anxiously for her to speak.

"Very well." She said wearily. "I remember how you were when I first met you Morgana, and I remember how you were after you were brought back to Camelot. I look at you now and I see a small part of you that is still that angry and bitter person, but the larger part is the Morgana I know and love. I can't hand you in if you are still that person, magic or not." She stood up, and held her head up, looking every bit like royalty. "I will keep your secret Morgana, and yours Merlin, on one condition." We looked at her eagerly and nodded fervently.

"Anything. You're my best friend Gwen." Although I knew this, I couldn't help flinching as I thought about Morgana liking Gwen more than me. Gwen looked at us both in the eyes.

"You will have to tell Arthur sometime soon. I will not lie to him forever." Morgana hesitated but nodded. I shrugged.

"Well, I was planning on saving him anyway. There wouldn't have been any point in saving his worthless backside so many times if I wasn't." I said cheekily, lightening the mood. Both girls laughed for a second before Gwen sighed.

"I'll go now. I'm sure you have work to do." Gwen said tensely, as she gestured towards the book and candle on the table.

'Oh, right. I really am sorry." Morgana said, hurrying over to the table to get rid of both objects.

"I believe you." Gwen said, before stepping out of the room.

**Hmm, I was planning on doing something different for this chapter and then I got a review telling me that I hadn't showed Gwen's reaction to Merlin's magic yet. And I thought, "That is so true! I should probably do that, and why not chuck in a reveal about Morgana's magic too, just to make things even more angsty?" **_**Anyway, **_**I hope you enjoyed and please keep reading, oh and reviewing too. If you feel like it…**


	11. Sacrifice

**Okay, I was going to do the whole story in Merlin's pov and then I realized…I can't do past here unless it is from Morgana's! So here is to confusing my readers, and to writing from Morgana's pov until further notice.**

Morgana's Pov

_I am standing alone at the edge of a forest, my eyes trained on the soaring towers of Camelot. I don't know how I came across the feelings, but I can feel horror and anguish coursing through my veins as I stare up at the castle. My focus wavered when I saw a dark haired boy racing towards me, relief crossing his face as he saw me beyond the boundary. I was the opposite however when I realized that Merlin was moving too slow. He wouldn't make it._

"_Merlin!" I screamed, starting to run towards him. I was too late and I could only watch in horror as a red dome enveloped Camelot and all of the surrounding villages. It pulsed for a moment before everything and everyone was reduced to ashes before my eyes. Including Merlin. I could only stare dumfounded at the spot where he had been, not even realizing that I was shaking until I fell to my knees, still staring at the pile of ashes that was all that remained of him._

"_Merlin." I whispered._

_The scene abruptly changed, the world warping around me until I was crouched in a world of pure white. I looked around me in confusion, my eyes focusing on a woman walking towards me. I said the first thing that came to my mind in my anguished state._

"_You're wearing my dress." I said bluntly. The girl smiled in understanding. Her face was cream coloured and kind, framed by dark brown locks._

"_I am." The girl said. "Merlin gave it to me during my short stay in Camelot."_

"_Merlin?" I asked, my voice cracking as I remembered the horror from moments ago. The girl's eyes were sad now._

"_Yes. I was brought to Camelot in a cage. He freed me and looked after me, even after finding out about my curse. He was kind to me, just as he is to everyone."_

"_That's him." I said before her words sunk in. "Wait. Curse?" My head shot up. "Merlin told me about you. You're name is Freya. Arthur killed you." Could there be some ulterior motive behind the girl's appearance? Could she want revenge against Arthur?_

"_No. I hold no ill will towards your brother. I only seek to help you." Freya said and when I looked at her in shock, she elaborated. "I can read your thoughts in this state." _

"_How can you help me? Camelot is destroyed and Merlin is dead." My voice cracked on the last word and Freya looked at me in sympathy. _

"_Not yet. But if you fail to defeat your enemies, it soon will be. The deadly glow that you saw comes from a box. It is made from a metal not found in this world and is extraordinarily rare as only those who can travel between worlds can find them." She looked at me gravely. "And once armed, there is only one way to stop them. Magic is used to activate it, but is unable to stop it. The way to destroy it is simple enough; someone must touch the box."_

_I could see from her expression that there was a catch._

"_But?" She looked at me in profound sorrow._

"_Whoever touches the box sacrifices their life."_

_My head jerked back, before I set my expression._

"_I will do it." I declared and Freya looked at me in horror._

"_No Morgana please! Merlin cannot lose anyone else. He has lost so much already." She said, crying now. I bit my lip and shut my eyes to stop my own flow of tears._

"_You're right about that. Merlin loves you, and you were killed." Freya looked at me again, a faint smile working it's way through the fears._

"_That may be true, but the way he loved me is but a shadow of the way he will always love you Morgana. You're destinies were always to either be the other's doom or to love each other more than life itself. You have already made your decision." I looked at Freya's honest face my fist clenched in anger._

"_Why would the dragon tell Merlin to kill me if he knew me and Merlin could fall in love?" My rage was directed at the dragon, not at Freya and I could see that she realized that._

"_I know little of the Great Dragon, but my guess is that he believed you incapable of that kind of love." She told me hesitantly and my eyes widened incredulously._

"_He _what?_" I screamed. That stupid beast made Merlin poison me because he didn't believe I was capable of loving Merlin?_

_Freya didn't respond to these thoughts and waited for me to calm down and spoke urgently as the white world started to fade around us._

"_You must not let Camelot fall Morgana. It is up to you to save them now."_

"_I will. I know Merlin has lost much, but I will not allow anyone else to take on this burden. I will be the sacrifice."_

I shot up in bed, terrified. The calm from the dream had faded and fear took its place. I would have to die to save Merlin. I would die for him any day but that didn't mean I wasn't scared about it. I sobbed as I thought about all we had been through and now that we were finally together, it had to end. That was always the way in my life, something good comes along and it is taken from me. I looked out the window at the moon still shining brightly in the sky and sighed acceptingly. I would not get any sleep tonight. When the sun rose, I would find out when and where this box would be activated, and then I would go there. Then I would die.


	12. Breaking a heart

**Alrighty, back to Merlin's Pov guys!**

I wake slowly, my mind gradually focusing and my breath quickening. I open my eyes slowly, noticing that I was facing the window and could see into the castle's courtyard. It was still dark outside and I wondered what had woken me so early. I frowned; normally I couldn't see my window when lying down because it was too high up. It then took me another second to realize that I was _way _too comfortable, after which I shot up, last's night events rushing back to me. I looked beside me to see Morgana and smiled slightly to see her small frame beside me Her legs were intertwined with mine and her head was close to where mine would have been a moment ago. I heard the door close with a click and looked up to see Arthur standing there with a dumbstruck and extremely disgusted look on his face. I realized that he must have been the one that woke me, when he opened the door.

"Arthur?" I asked stupidly. He didn't answer, just kept glaring at me. Morgana stirred beside me and smiled at me before her forehead creased. She followed my line of sight and cursed, pulling the sheets around herself.

"Don't you know how to knock?" She shouted and I felt a sense of déjà vu. I realized she had said this before, albeit at a _much_ less awkward time than this one. Arthur really did have a knack at interrupting at the wrong time. And he still just stood there, staring. I started to get a bit creeped out, and slipped out form under the covers to stand before him. Arthur's expression turned even more horrified, if that was possible and he turned around to throw up in a vase. I knew the situation was bad, but I didn't think Arthur was that childish. My eyes widened in shock and I looked down, realizing that Arthur actually had every right to throw up. I rushed back to the bedside and grabbed my pants, Morgana not willing to drop the bed sheet in front of Arthur. I expected her to be furious, but when I looked at her face, I realized that it only held fear. She crossed to Arthur and shook his shoulder with one hand, holding the blanket around her with the other.

"Arthur, why are you here?" She asked seriously, her voice not betraying any of the anger I was still expecting. Arthur just shook his head and threw up again, before standing up straight, trying to retain any dignity he had left.

"Y-you…" He spluttered. Morgana growled impatiently.

"Yes Arthur, Merlin and I slept together. Now why are you here?" Arthur looked her directly in the eye; although I could tell he was trying not to look at Morgana by the way his eye was twitching.

"Don't even think about it." She said calmly, yet menacingly and Arthur suddenly found something of vast interest to him.

"There has been a disturbance." He began and Morgana flinched.

_What's wrong? _I said, speaking to her with my mind.

_This is it Merlin. This is my dream. I can feel it. _She said, and I knew that if she were speaking out loud, her voice would have been quavering. I winced along with her, understanding how her anger at Arthur was blotted out in favor of fear. Arthur didn't notice our private discussion and continued talking, still staring at the ceiling.

"We have heard reports that there is a powerful sorceress below the castle, surrounding by guards. No one has managed to get close enough to get a good look at them though. I was ordered to bring Morgana to the council chambers immediately, for her protection." He said, almost grinning on the last bit. Morgana growled. Even with the current circumstances, she was still getting annoyed at being babysat.

"Fine." She said, surprising Arthur with her easy agreement. My lips pressed into a thin line. I knew there was something more, despite the fact that Morgana hadn't actually told me. When Morgana had her nightmare, it frightened her enough that not only did she send her feelings of anguish to me; she sent her entire dream to me as well, so that I saw it along with her. I was more of a watching presence though. I was not part of the dream, but watched like a fly on the wall. I saw Morgana on a hill and I saw myself getting killed. I saw the scene change and Freya was there, in the dress I had 'borrowed' from Morgana a few years ago. She was just like before but my eyes were not clouded by the fact that she was my first love, or the fact that she was vulnerable and in need of protection. Freya obviously knew this as well, as she told Morgana that I had loved her, but not like I did Morgana. I looked at them both together and as guilty as it made me feel, I knew she was right. My love for Freya was but a fraction of the feelings I had for Morgana, darkness and all. I couldn't cry in my passive state but I still felt anguish as the worst part of the nightmare came to pass. I saw Morgana volunteer to sacrifice herself to stop this box.

"Merlin." I didn't respond and someone waved their hand in front of my face, snapping me out of the flashback. Arthur looked at me, part annoyed and part amused.

"We've dealt with many sorcerers before Merlin and you have never flinched, what makes you so frightened of this one?" He asked.

"Oh, er…nothing." I said pathetically.

"Come on Merlin. You are a terrible liar, tell me what's wrong or I will put you in the stocks." He threatened. Morgana glared at him and hit his arm. I snickered as Arthur tried not to wince in pain.

"Leave him alone Arthur, or I will do worse than put you in the stocks." Morgana told him confidently. Arthur immediately backed down and I muffled another snicker. When the joking moment was past, Arthur nodded and left, giving Morgana time to change. He dragged me out with him and I gulped, wondering what terrible punishment he was going to inflict on me for spending the night with the kings ward. I gasped. What if he told the king? He would have me executed on the spot! My fists clenched as I fought to control my shaking hands and Arthur pushed me into an alcove.

"Are you crazy?" He hissed. "Do you want to be killed?" I could only clench my eyes shut as I waited for him to continue. When he didn't, I took the initiative and spoke, despite the fact that it would probably only make things worse.

"Well, are you going to go tell the king? Or would you rather kill me yourself?" I asked through clenched teeth. His next words made my eyes fly open in shock.

"What? Who do you think I am? I wouldn't turn you in and there is no way I would lay a finger on you myself."

"What?" I asked, my expression rivaling that of a fish. Arthur looked embarrassed at having to talk about feelings with me.

"You're my best friend Merlin. I know that you really love Morgana and you aren't going to hurt her with false promises, and unlike people she has courted in the past, I know she genuinely loves you, as shocking as that is. _But, _I do think you are an idiot for taking such little care in your uh, _meetings. _Do you think my father would be as accepting as me?" He asked, in a voice that said he already knew the answer.

"Of course not." I mumbled.

"Then respect what I have to say Merlin! This is the second I have caught the pair of you together, you have to be careful!"

"I'm sorry!" I exclaimed. "That was the least we were thinking about at the time!"

Arthur's expression became disgusted again.

"I don't want to know. Just know this Merlin, if you ever hurt her in any way, I will go against my word kill you myself. I looked Arthur straight in the eye now.

"I would never hurt her." Arthur bought it but I knew it was a lie. I was going to hurt Morgana, and in the worst way possible. I would break her heart by touching that box before she could, sacrificing my life to save hers.


	13. Last Kiss

**Sorry it took so long guys! My computer was being a bitch and wouldn't let me log on =/ Now that it's working again, here's my next update =P**

My mood remained somber as I walked back to Morgana's room, thinking about all that had happened, and would soon come to pass. I pushed the door open and my mood quickly lifted as I saw Morgana trying to untangle herself from the gown she was trying, and failing to put on without help. I shook my head and chuckled silently. I was glad I didn't have to wear dresses, those things looked so damn complicated.

I walked up behind her and she jumped when I gripped her arm lightly. I ignored her reaction and quickly loosened the straps at the back of her dress, allowing her to slide into it more easily. Morgana did so and blushed at her predicament. I was unable to hide my own blush as I retied the straps, my hands brushing against her smooth ivory skin and memories of last night flooding my mind. Morgana spun in my arms and I pulled her closer. She looked up at me, a small smile tugging at her lips. I leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her full lips, and she responded eagerly. I remembered Arthur's words at the last minute and used my magic to close the door and lock it, without removing my lips from Morgana's. Our kiss rapidly increased in its urgency and she wrapped her arms around my neck, one hand fisting in my hair. I reached for the back of the dress I had just tied up and gripped the first strap, before I felt a powerful magic being used. My head jerked back and I broke away from Morgana. I expected her to be hurt but when I looked at her, I only saw the same confusion and fear I myself felt. As if she could read my mind, Morgana rested her hands against my chest.

"You felt that too." It was more a statement than question but I replied anyway.

"Yes."

"We need to go find it _now!_" She said fearfully, trying to pull me by the arm.

"Morgana, wait. Think about this first. What are people going to think when they discover the King's ward didn't attend the meeting? They are going to think something's wrong and will come looking for you." I said reasonably. Morgana's lips twitched before she conceded with groan.

"Fine! But only because you will force me there by magic if you have to. But you have to be there too. If I have to put up with it, then so do you." She said childishly, although I could see she had an ulterior motive. My eye twitched, but that was the only reaction I gave at her demand. It would make my plan more difficult but if going to the meeting would put Morgana's suspicions to rest, then who was I to argue? I rolled my eyes and agreed and Morgana smiled smugly.

"I thought so." She said triumphantly.

"You go in first, and I'll sneak in after the distraction. It would be seemly for us to walk in together." I said cheekily. Morgana narrowed her eyes at me.

"So I'm the distraction?" She said miffed, but also slightly amused.

"Exactly." I said brightly and pushed her towards the door, surprised by the lack of guards. "Now remember to smile and enchant them all with you overwhelming beauty." I said teasingly, although it was every bit the truth. Morgana blushed and tried to hide it by raising an eyebrow.

"Overwhelming beauty?" She asked skeptically. It was only then that I realized that this was probably the last time I would see her and my mood became somber.

"The most beautiful woman in all the kingdoms, and I was lucky to capture her attention. I will love you until the day I die and beyond that, promise you will remember that." I said, gazing into her eyes intently.

"Of course I know that." She said, confused.

"Promise me."

Morgana looked at me and realized I was deadly serious. There was something in her own eyes that mimicked my eyes and I realized that if I didn't carry out my plan, she most certainly carry out hers. She reached her hand up to rest it against my cheek.

"I promise." She whispered. "Now promise me."

"I will always remember Morgana. I give you my word." I said huskily. I closed my eyes and when I opened them I deliberately forced a grin onto my face and started pushing her towards the door again, her hand dropping from my face.

"Off you go then." I said with mock cheer, letting none of my misery show in my face or face. I gave her a swift but heartfelt kiss before she turned and walked into the room. Our last kiss.

**I know it's short but I just find these great places to stop the chapters and don't want to go past there. If I try to make it longer by adding bits throughout, I end up butchering it, so this is what we get. Hope you enjoyed =P**


	14. The last look at beauty

I waited down the hall and watched as Morgana stepped up to the door of the meeting room. She lifted her head and stood proudly as the guards hurried to open the door for her, not wanting to keep the king's ward waiting. I heard the discussion coming from inside the room and also heard it cut off as soon as Morgana made her appearance. Not even the news of a sorceress in the castle was enough to stop them dead at her beauty. The doors slammed shut behind her and I stepped out from the corner and rushed up to the guards.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be late, but I had to finish this job for Arthur, and then I had to find some herbs for Gauis, and-" I said quickly, pretending that I had just run all the way from the physicians chambers, although I had really been less than twenty feet away for the last ten minutes. One of the guards held up a hand to stop the chatter and pointed down the hall.

"You can't go through this door now Merlin, the meeting has already started. You'll have to go through the servants entrance." He said apologetically, as if I was not a servant anyway.

"Of course. Thank you, I just thought I would apologise." I started before the guard cut me off again.

"It's fine. Now get in there before Arthur punishes you." He said with a grin. Everyone knew of Arthur's tendency to give Merlin more jobs whenever he was late, which was often. I grinned and jogged down the hall before slipping in silently through the servant's door. I had to make sure Morgana saw me in the hall so she wouldn't come looking for me. I grabbed a pitcher of water from a side table and stood behind Arthur impatiently. His expression was serious and he turned to look behind him, jumping slightly when he saw me standing behind him. There were a few hidden grins in the watching council members before they regained their composure and focused on the meeting again. Arthur grabbed the front of my tunic and pulled my head down.

"It's about time you got here. I'm dying of thirst and the council is looking for a way out of this mess. How can I show confidence if not even my servant can turn up on time." He hissed in my ear. I bit back a laugh.

"Luck I guess." I said and pulled myself out of his grip to pour water into his goblet.

"That's better." He muttered before picking up the goblet.

I stepped back and sighed. As much as Arthur acted like a prat, I knew he was going to be sad and hurt when I died, although I knew I had to do it to save Morgana, as well as the rest of Camelot. My eyes started to sting and I quickly slipped behind a pillar before the tears started to fall. I rested my head against the stone, and shut my eyes tightly and thought about everything I would lose. Arthur would have to protect himself from all the danger that plagued him, and Gauis would be alone. Gwen would be shattered, despite the newfound knowledge of my magic. These things weren't even the worst of it either. I finally got the girl I loved and now I would have to lose her. Life had never been fair. Morgana would be devastated and so badly hurt that I would do this to her, even though she was planning to sacrifice herself anyway. Hopefully she would be happy again one day. Hopefully she would find someone else to love and have a family and be happy. Although the thought filled me with agony, I could not wish a pain filled life on her so that she would mourn me forever.

I brushed my tears away roughly and stepped out from behind the pillar, before moving into Morgana's sight, as she looked ready to leave as it was. When she saw me there, she breathed in relief but instantly averted her eyes, knowing that any contact with me could get me killed. As soon as she looked away, I slowly started to back into the corner of the room where the servant's entrance was. If I didn't leave now, I wouldn't have enough time to destroy the box before someone came looking for me.

I looked at Morgana once last time, before leaving her forever.

**Don't hate me guys! Not to be a spoiler but you have to keep reading, trust me! Sorry it's been so long too, I have lost most of my motivation to write. =( Hoping to get it back**


	15. Dreams and Reality

Morgana's Pov

I narrowed my eyes as I saw Merlin slip out of the room quietly. A few people looked away nervously, thinking I was glaring at them. I looked down immediately but my eyes kept flicking over to the door Merlin had left by. Something was wrong and I was not the type to let a mystery go unsolved, especially in a situation as dangerous as ours. I glanced at Uther and put my head in my hands, pretending that I was struggling to keep my poise. Even so, I was surprised that Uther looked away from the discussion on the sorceress to look at me worriedly.

"Are you alright Morgana?" He asked, and I only just managed to stop myself from flinching at the concern in his voice. Just because I had stopped my attempts to kill him, didn't change my feelings towards him.

"I'm afraid I don't feel well sire. May I please be excused?" I said, trying to make my voice sound rougher. I thought he would be annoyed but his eyes showed nothing but concern for me.

"Of course. Anything you need. Make sure to tell you maid that you need Gauis's services. I want to make sure it's nothing serious." He said firmly and I smiled slightly.

"Of course sire." I said before standing up. As I straightened, I tightened my lips to make it seem like keeping my posture was painful. I would not slouch in front as audience. Uther reached out a hand to steady me and I thanked him before stepping out of his reach and making my way slowly towards the servant's entrance. Uther looked confused as to why I was going that way but I just shook my head and put my finger to my lips, trying to tell him that I wanted to leave without causing too much of a disturbance. His eyes shone with understanding and he turned back to his council members before they had time to dwell on the quick encounter. As soon as I closed the door behind me, I dropped the pained expression and walked purposefully down the hall. I saw Merlin use magic to distract the guards by causing a loud bang to echo from the opposite hallway and hurried down the hall when they left. I followed slower, deciding that nothing would be gained by making myself known to him. The fact that he used his magic to distract the guards proved that there was something urgent he needed to do.

I silently cursed the flowing gowns I wore as Merlin made his way below the castle. I frowned as I tried to work out his intentions but didn't stop my careful stalking. It was when we reached the crypts below the castle that I realized what he was doing. He was going to find the sorceress. I panicked but didn't reveal myself. Fighting the sorceress wouldn't destroy the box and it could always be used again, and Merlin might not even get that far. What if the sorceress killed Merlin? He may be Emrys but that doesn't mean he won't make a mistake and he was not yet at his full power. I would have to stop him. I stepped out from behind a wall and was about to call out to him when I was stopped short and my eyes widened. A red glow enveloped the room and set an eerie cast on the occupants within. At least thirty people stood in disciplined lines facing Merlin and I, and I could just make out a box between them. From what I could see, this box was made of a material I have never seen before, despite living in a castle and having access to it's treasuries. I looked at the men guarding the box and realized that they could not having been men at all. They were all unnaturally still and paler than I was, with hair as black as a starless night and clothes to match. Their faces were completely expressionless and their eyes gazed unseeingly at the walls in front of them. I gasped in shock, causing Merlin to turn to me and echoing my sound. I ignored him and stared at the creatures. I had had experience with them before, but never in this quantity. One of these creatures had come to Camelot many years ago with orders to kill Uther. They were not especially skilled at anything but were not human and could not feel pain, which allowed them to fight past what a mortal man could not bear. They were clones. I knew little of them but I knew that it caused excruciating pain on the original person to been cloned and pitied whoever had experienced it, though I wondered if it was them who had created or someone else had just used him for their own ends. Either way, they were only hurt with a mortal blow and only luck on Uther's behalf had allowed him to find this out early enough when the clone had come for him.

"Morgana! What are you doing here?" Merlin hissed, having recovered from his shock. Well, it proved that I was better at stalking people than him, although it probably didn't say much for my hobbies. Suddenly, we both cursed as we realized what was happening.

My dream was coming true.

I was cold with fear but I managed to look at Merlin calmly and answer him in the same manner.

"What are _you _doing here?" I asked smugly. He opened his mouth to answer but was snapped it shut as a woman walked out from behind the clones where she had previously been hidden.

"No." I whispered, terrified by this occurrence more than anything else that had happened so far. The woman cocked her head to the side and smiled darkly as she approached. Her blonde hair had gained a reddish tinge from the box but this was not able to hold my attention. The woman crossed her arms and she lifted her chin before speaking.

"Hello sister."

**Two chapters up! Yeah baby =P**


	16. The Ultimate Sacrifice

I struggled to keep my face blank as Morgause smirked at me, but was unable to help my lips tightening.

"Morgause." I said angrily.

"Ah Morgana, don't be like that. We are sisters are we not? Which is why I was even more surprised when you _betrayed me._" She hissed. My spine tensed defensively but I forced myself to calm down.

"What you are doing is wrong Morgause. Killing Uther will not save magic and killing innocents will accomplish even less. I see that now, using magic like you are will only make things worse! The people will fear it more than they did so before, don't you see that?" I exclaimed. Morgause clenched her fists and turned away from me.

"You know nothing. You know nothing of how to save our kind. You are a traitor to your own race. You both are" She said harshly and I opened my mouth to argue in the same tone until Merlin's voice in my head stopped me.

_No Morgana. Think about it, she is feeling the same way you did after I poisoned you. _I could feel his reluctance to broach the subject but he continued on. _She feels that you betrayed her and she will not listen._

I took an uneven breath and looked at him upset, but knowing we had no other choice. There was no other way.

"Leave now Morgause." I said firmly, but she just ignored me and ran her hand along the chest of one of the clones. She smiled, but the smile was sinister and cold.

"Do you know why I chose clones as my servants Morgana? Sure, they are difficult to kill but more than that, they have no thoughts of their own and so would never betray me. Not like you did, taking sides with a _serving boy, _who tried to kill both you and me." She raised her arm and I reacted, thinking she was going to attack us with magic, but then she lowered her arm and I relaxed.

"Merlin did kill you though. I _saw _you." But inside my head there was a rapidly growing pool of doubt. I looked at Merlin but he didn't even seem to be paying attention to Morgause at all, and was looking at that clones.

"But that's where you're wrong Morgana." She said menacingly. "You never actually checked to make sure my heart had stopped. I'll admit it took a lot of healing magic to save me when I came to, but Cenred's pet sorcerers were enough for that. And now here I am!" She spread her arms out on either side of her to prove her point.

"Hmm… I guess we will just have to fix that mistake then won't we." I said, my voice both sad and threatening, and I wondered if I would actually be able to carry out the threat. I wondered if I would be able to kill my only remaining family.

"Come then Morgana! Fight me." Morgause said, with a humourless laugh.

"She won't have to." We both turned our heads to find Merlin standing behind the clones, next to the box. Morgause was still standing there confused and in shock, and Merlin used this advantage to say something. "You know, the drawback of clones is that they don't attack unless you tell them too." He held both hands in front of him and slowly drew them together. His eyes glowed gold as he spoke and his face showed the strain of the spell.

"_áþynnian þás feorhcynn æt æmerge" _As one, the creatures rose into the air and before my astonished eyes, disintegrated into nothing more than ashes. It all happened within ten seconds of Merlin interrupting Morgause. Morgause glared but Merlin didn't even look at her, even as she raised her hand towards him. His eyes were only on me for a moment but in that one second I saw everything he felt and knew what he was about to do.

"No!" I screamed but he just smiled.

_Run! I love you Morgana. Remember your promise._

Then he touched the box.

His scream of agony echoed mine as a red glow enveloped him completely. I looked on in horror, and fell to my knees. Time seemed to slow around me as I watched the scene before me. Merlin looked at me in pain, before his eyes went blank and he fell forwards, his final breath leaving him before he hit the ground.

_NO!_

I gasped and sobs racked my body, violent enough to send me to the ground.

_Merlin. _

I heard a shout of anger but it was dull and undefined in my semiconscious state.

_No._

I saw someone standing over me and grasping my arm roughly before my head the ground.

Everything went black.

**Now we're getting somewhere! And don't hate me guys, trust me, you need to keep reading and find out what happens next! R&R please! I have regained my motivation and so reviews will keep me writing again =P**


	17. Emrys

**Merlin's Pov**

_I knew I was dreaming the moment I looked around me. I was back in the caves beneath the castle and watching Morgana and myself confront Morgause. I saw myself sneak around the clones, their blank stares sending shivers through me, and towards the box that could destroy Camelot, Arthur and everything I tried to create. I could only stare as I watched my other self look at Morgana sadly, her shouting out as I touched the box, but even when my other self died I remained in the dream. I wanted to shout at Morgana to run but couldn't speak in my wraith-like state, and looked on in denial as Morgause gripped Morgana by the arm and whispered a few words in the language of the old religion. _

_No!_

_A whirlwind surrounded the pair, whipping up the dust and debris surrounding them. I looked on helplessly as they vanished within the magical wind, and the room quieted once again, dust and ashes settling on the floor again._

_The room spun around me and everything turned white. I gasped, and realized I was in the same place from Morgana's dream, but realized that I could control my dream body now. I blinked and held up my arm, staring at it in confusion. My skin was half-translucent, looking as if it was unable to make a decision on whether it should be completely see through, or made of flesh and bones._

"_You are halfway between the worlds Merlin. You have died, but you also haven't." A voice said softly. I spun quickly to see Freya standing behind me, looking so sweet and innocent in Morgana's dress. I felt another guilty start as I realized that I didn't feel for her as I once did, and as if reading my thoughts, she smiled understandingly. I pushed the feeling back._

"_What do you mean?" _

"_You touched the box, which kills any mortal man who comes in contact with it, and you died." She said softly and my eyebrows came together in confusion._

"_Yes. But why am I here? Why am I in Morgana's dream and how can I die, but also not?"_

_Freya looked at me and laughed quietly._

"_So full of questions Merlin, some things never change. Firstly, this was never Morgana's dream; this is the place between the living world and the world of the dead. Morgana's dream just brought her here so that I could talk to her, and now you. I haven't passed on because of my promise to you, that I would pay you back." "I'm sorry." I murmured, and looked down in shame. I felt a brush of cold wind touch my face and I looked up to see Freya's hand on my cheek._

"_It's alright Merlin. I am happy to stay, because it means I get to see you again." She smiled at me and I gave a small smile back. She had always been so kind and caring, making me feel even guiltier for loving another. I looked away so I could ask my question without my emotions distracting me._

"_And my other question. You said I had died, but I also hadn't. How is that possible?"_

"_Ah, I see you never thought about your name. Haven't you ever wondered why the druids call you Emrys? What it means?"_

"_Well…I just thought that people had many names. I didn't know they meant anything." I replied, dumfounded by this new information._

"_All names have a meaning Merlin. Yours is just greater than many others could ever hope for." She said ominously, and despite my guilt and mild temper, I wished she would stop beating around the bush._

"_What does my name mean?" I asked bluntly. "What does Emrys mean?"_

_Freya smiled, as if my impatience amused her, but there was a seriousness in her gaze that outshone any humour._

"_Immortal. Emrys means immortal."_

"_But…I just died."_

"_Everyone can die. Even immortals. The Fay are another race that can live forever, although their bodies are more vulnerable than your own."_

"_So I am dead." I said sadly. I would never see Morgana again. I had accepted this long ago, but now that I knew I would be able to think of her after I died, it made it a lot more painful. What would I do without her? _

"_Of a sort. But you are powerful Merlin. Even more than you know. The Box may be from another world, but your own power comes from the very fabric of this one, as does you immortality. You can withstand what would cause a mortal man to perish. And alas, your world still needs you. For Arthur. For Morgana, and for Albion. I have fulfilled my promise and cannot keep myself in this half-state any longer, so this is my final goodbye to you Merlin. Good luck."_

_Her words faded out as the half-world started to spin around me once more. First it faded to grey, then to black, before I jolted to a stop._

My body was in agony and my red flecks flashed behind my eyes. I groaned in pain but forced my eyes open to stare at the room around me, surprised how normal it looked, considering we had fought Morgause and a bunch of clones not long before in this same room. The only thing that showed any evidence of a fight here were the ashes that littered the floor, all that remained of the clones. I remembered my dream, or vision if you will, and recalled the image of Morgause grabbing Morgana by the arm before disappearing with her inside a whirlwind.

I have to save her.

I struggled up onto my elbows, still dazed and in pain from my ordeal, despite the fact that I had survived it. I set my jaw determinedly, and forced myself into a sitting position, while thinking about how I was going to save Morgana. I couldn't involve Arthur in this, as there was a good chance Morgause would use magic against me, and I couldn't let Arthur see me reply in kind. I shook my head to clear it but cursed when a headache pounded through my skull. Bad idea. I would have to go after her myself, but I also had to go see Gaius. I couldn't free her in this state.

With my plan firmly set in my mind, I pushed myself onto my feet and made my way _very _slowly through the castle and into Gaius's chambers, praying that he was in. I reached the door and barged straight in, making Gaius drop the potion he was holding. He immediately forgot that though when he saw me.

"Merlin, what happened?" He asked aghast. I ignored the question and looked at him desperately.

"Gaius, I need your help."

**Okay guys I don't want to be mean, but it can't be helped. Unless I get reviews, I am going to have to ditch this story. I continued it because I got reviews with people saying they wanted me to continue and now there might as well be tumbleweed bouncing across the screen. =(**


	18. Search For My Heart

**Dedicated to SunnySmile13, who sits at the top of the list for number of reviews! But I love all of you!**

I let Gaius give me something to stop the pain shooting through my limbs and to postpone my fatigue, but nothing more. I needed to go now if I was going to have any chance of saving Morgana. As soon as the medicine worked it's way through me, I jumped up and ran out the door, ignoring Gaius's disapproving frown as I did.

I raced through the corridors; breathless and getting odd looks from anyone that I passed. I was forced to a stop when a dozen guards rounded the corner in front of me and held a hand out to stop me.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" The leading guard asked gruffly. I thought quickly and dropped my head and tried to look sheepish.

"I-uh-I forgot to clean the Prince's chambers my lord, and he's going to be annoyed if I don't finish them before he get's back." Hmm, I was getting better at this whole deception thing. The guard looked at me in sympathy and a bit of surprise.

"It's too late for that. The prince went back to his chambers long ago to get ready." His words only just penetrated my distracted state of mine.

"Uh, get ready for what?" I asked, already starting to edge around him.

"I'm surprised you hadn't heard. The Lady Morgana's gone missing." He said suspiciously. I instantly turned my full attention to the man.

"What?" I said, shocked that they had realized she was missing already. The guard saw my shock and interpreted it the wrong way.

"Were you sleeping or something Merlin?" I had the feeling he would be grinning, if the situation weren't so serious.  
>"No. I was sick and Gaius only just let me out." I said vaguely before starting to edge around him again. I had to find Morgana before they did, or I would not be able to fight Morgause with my magic.<p>

"Well you had better report to Prince Arthur before he puts you in the stocks. He's not in a good mood, as you can imagine." He said grimly.

"Of course." I said quickly, bowing my head and shuffling away at the same time, hoping he wouldn't realize that I was going the wrong way for Arthur's chambers. I started running again, even more panicked than before, if that were possible. I burst out into the courtyard and made my way to the stables, slowing to a fast walk so I didn't draw attention to myself in the crowded streets. I was running again as soon as I entered the stables, ignoring the confused young boy who was saddling a pony at the far end of the stables. With a strength that belied someone my size, I grabbed a saddle in one hand and used the other to open a stall halfway down the row of horses. I gripped the saddle in two hands and had the straps done up twice as fast than I ever did for Arthur. With a grunt and a slap of the reins, I was out of the stables.

* * *

><p>I lay on the ground, exhausted from the day's hard riding but unable to get to sleep because of my concern anxiety for Morgana. I closed my eyes in a futile attempt to sleep only for them to fly back open as and idea came to me. Morgana and I could talk to each other in our minds if we were close enough, so that could make my search much easier. If I could touch her thoughts, then she was nearby and could tell me where Morgause was keeping her. I closed my eyes once more and drew a deep breath, focusing on my inner voice. I reached out with my mind and found nothing, but I couldn't give up yet.<p>

_Morgana? _I tried. Still nothing. With a sigh, I allowed myself to drift back into reality and fell into a fitful sleep, plagued by nightmares.

* * *

><p>I woke up in the morning, alert and packed up in minutes. I set horse's pace to a trot, wanting to move faster but not willing to expend the horse's strength, knowing I would need it soon enough. As the hours passed, my mind began to wander and I decided to try and contact Morgana again. I tightened my grip on the reins before closing my eyes. The drumming of hooves lulled me into a relaxed state and I used it to withdraw into myself more easily. I searched for Morgana and was elated when I felt something touching my consciousness in return. I was already making contact with the presence and was unable to retreat when I was sucked into a cold and dark vision. I felt my head move without my permission and my eyes flicker and I realized that it wasn't a vision at all, but I was inside Morgana's mind, seeing from her point of view.<p>

_I winced as a sharp pain shot through my arm and grimaced at the magic binding shackles on my wrist. There was a rattle at the door and my breathing sped up, but I was determined to show no fear in front of my sister. The door opened and she entered, smirking viciously at me, although I noticed that behind the smirk was a wave of sadness and betrayal. I flinched again as her emotions were identical to those I felt not that long ago._

"_Morgause-" I tried, but she wouldn't let me finish._

"_I don't care what you have to say. You will feel the betrayal that you have caused me Morgana. And you will feel my pain." She walked back out of the room, slamming the door behind her. I looked at the ground in sorrow._

"_I already have." I whispered to myself._

I was released from her mind and I jerked back to my own body with a gasp. I grumbled, this was the second time I had been torn from my body and I wasn't growing any fonder of it. My internal whining stopped abruptly when I realized what I had just witnessed. I had been inside her mind as it happened, and I was seeing what was happening at that exact moment, not what was happening in the future. I had been seeing through her eyes, hearing through her ears, and worst of all, feeling her pain. A tear fell from my eye as I remember the anguish Morgana felt at the loss of her sister. I choked back a sob and hardened my expression, but was unable to stop the warm tears that escaped my eyes as I mounted my horse. I had to save Morgana, but if Morgause interfered, there was a good chance I was going to have to hurt her to do it.


	19. Heart and Mind

**~Dedicated to Paladinobr**

Judging from the fact that I could be pulled into Morgana's mind, I must have been fairly close to where Morgause was keeping her. I used this knowledge and gritted my teeth before sending out another mental probe, searching for the familiar presence that was Morgana. I felt a presence and immediately flinched away from the contact before berating myself angrily. When I had touched her mind, I had seen her surroundings and realized how dire a situation she was in, but I didn't know where to find her. I had to hope that if I joined my mind and hers again, then I might be able to find more information. I exhaled and closed my eyes, allowing my mind to reach out again, but instead of flinching when I felt Morgana's mind, I probed deeper and sighed in relief when I wasn't pulled into another painful vision. Instead, I found that I was able to talk to her in my mind, and that was exactly what I did.

_Morgana? _I asked hesitantly, trying to judge her reaction.

_Merlin? But…you died! _She flinched at her own words and I could hear the pain, emotional and physical that she was experiencing through her inner voice.

_It's a long story. I am on my way, but I don't know where Morgause is keeping you. Do you see where she took you? _I asked urgently, unsure how much time we had.

_I'm not sure. _There was silence for a second and Morgana's mind faded a bit before joining with mine again. I bit my lip in worry.

_Are you okay?_

_I'm fine. _She replied, but I could hear the lie. _And I don't know much, I only know that she brought me to a castle, although… I have heard some of the guards talking about Cenred, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if she has joined up with her lap dog again. _Her voice filled with anger and contempt.

_I will find you. _Except I didn't know where Cenred's castle was from here. An idea came to me and I smiled. _Keep up the connection Morgana, I will use it to find you. _

I opened my eyes but remained joined to Morgana, and ran over to my horse, tightened the girth straps and set it to a gallop. I had to find her before she grew too weak to remain linked to me. As I rode, I cast a spell that would lead me towards Morgana as long as I remained linked to her mind.

_**Ástýran mec æt scéad ealdhláford bánhús ic gedál **_

My eyes flashed gold and I felt a tugging in my mind, urging me to the east. I grinned and followed the urge, turning the horse right and making my way to Morgana.

**Really short chapter but I just thought I should put something up because I have been gone so long. Also the spell means "Guide me to thou whose mind I share." I am also thinking of writing a drabble series either as well as, or after this story, so any prompts for that are greatly welcome. However they must be boy/girl pairings and I will mostly be writing Mergana although I will add some other pairings.**


	20. Rescue

I stopped in the forest with Cenred's dark and cold castle in view. My lip curled in anger and contempt. Normally I wouldn't even think about hurting someone in cold blood but this had gone too far. Cenred and Morgause had caused me too much trouble over the years and now they had taken Morgana from me. They would pay, because I was stronger than they would ever be.

I dismounted and led my horse to small but sturdy tree and proceeded to tie her there. It would be just typical if Morgana and I had come running out of the castle to escape only to find our transport had run off. The horse looked at me reproachfully and I chuckled softly.

"Come on. You have been doing this for years, why are you complaining now?" The horse just snorted and turned its head away from me. I rolled my eyes.

"Well that's mature." Not surprisingly, the horse made no response and I found myself slightly concerned as to why I was talking to a horse. I shrugged the thought away and cast a spell over the animal in case anyone happened to come past this way, before putting the same one on myself and moving forward to get a clearer view of the castle.

I mouthed numbers to myself as I counted the number of guards I would have to pass to get into the castle. From what I could see, I would have to get past eight on the outer entrances and battlements, plus however many there were guarding the corridors within.

"Easy." I said smugly and started moving forward again. Once again, I had no time for plans and would have to improvise on the way. Like usual. I narrowed my eyes and stared at the guards on the battlements, at least 80 feet in the air. They would be the ones least likely to be noticed. I lifted my palm and whispered a spell under my breath.

_**Slæp." **_It was a simple enchantment that I had used dozens of times but it worked just as effectively as ever. I watched in amusement as the four guards collapsed in synchronization.

"Oh dear. Don't you know sleeping on your watch is punishable by death?" I said with a grin, not even worrying about the fact that I was talking to myself again. I moved forward again.

Still using my invisibility spell. I walked right up to the four guards at the main gate and watched as they jumped in shock at seeing footprints heading towards them, which the spell failed to hide.

"_**Swígung." **_I chuckled darkly as they tried to shout out only to find no words would come out of their mouth. I grew bored of playing games with them and repeated the sleeping spell on them, before using magic to move them into positions that look more natural to assuage suspicion.

I walked quickly through the corridors, ignoring the startled glances of people when they heard the shuffle of footsteps that had no source. I had wasted too much time as it is. The locating spell I had cast was still active and growing stronger until it was almost painful. Suddenly the tugging sensation disappeared and I panicked. Something must have happened to Morgana for her to release the connection. I started running. I could find my way to the dungeons from here. I followed the path of guards, assuming that their numbers would be highest close to the dungeons. I snorted when I turned out to be correct. They might as well have put glowing arrows leading me to them. The noise echoed around the corridor and I froze, but no one came to investigate and I continued on.

I stepped around the corner and my eyebrows came up in surprise. The layout of this area was so much similar to that of Camelot's dungeons, except that the two guards looked even more incompetent, judging by the pitcher of wine on the table between them. I was able to use the sleeping spell on them when they started talking and unusually curious, I waited to listen.

"She's a nice one, don't you reckon?" The first one said, a predatory leer appearing on his face.

"Hmm, her eyes aren't such a clear emerald after what Morgause has put her through though." His face changed to match his comrade's then. "And her skin won't be so perfectly smooth and pale when _I'm _done with her either." My skin flashed red in anger and I raised my hand.

"I hope no one else has gotten to her first." The first one muttered.

"_**Metodsceaft beinnan wærc!" **_I shouted, not caring who heard me, not that it mattered by the time my spell took effect. The guards screamed in agony, falling off their chairs and curling into a fetal position on the ground, while their faces went blue. Gradually, their screams faded away and I ran down the stairs and past them, although not before I spat on their tortured corpses and took their keys.

I peered into seven cells before finding the one I was looking for. The occupant was lying on their side with their back to the door, skin even paler than usual and ebony hair sprawled across the floor.

"Morgana!" I whispered, but received. No answer. I tried again louder but got the same response. I cursed and pulled out the keys, my eyebrows furrowing when I looked at them.

"Why the hell do I have these?" I asked myself and threw them across the room before placing my hand on the lock.

"_**Ábrecan þes hæfting." **_There was a cracking sound and I swung the door open quickly. I rushed in a crouched down beside Morgana, just as the warning bell started ringing. I cursed violently. As much as I wanted to kill Cenred and Morgause, Morgana's safety was more important.

"Morgana." I tried again. "Morgana! We need to go _now._" I growled in frustration and lifted her off the ground, and of course that was when she had to wake up.

"Merlin?" She whispered weakly. She opened her eyes and I saw what the guards meant about her eyes dulling from their usual clear emerald. Morgana looked around in confusion for a moment before she screamed and tried to buck out of my hold. I held on desperately and then realized why she was so panicked. She couldn't see me and to her it would look like she was floating in mid-air. I quickly released the invisibility spell and Morgana yelped again before relaxing.

"Merlin." She tried to embrace me the effort proved too much for her and she collapsed back into my arms once more. I looked at her sadly before concentrating on my task. I started to jog through the corridors, Morgana proving to be even easier to carry than usual after her few days of captivity. I had to stop after a few meters however, when Morgana winced in pain and a small cry escaped her pale lips. A dozen or so soldiers came rounded the corner and blinked rapidly at the sight before them before grinning. One of the soldiers toward the back spoke.

"Well, well. This is one I haven't seen before. A peasant trying to rescue a Lady. Tell me, what pleasures are you giving her so she will keep you around? It's scandalous that a Lady became a peasant's whore." He mocked. I felt my blood boil at his words and tone and I gritted my teeth. Laughter echoed between them but I showed no fear. I slowly lowered Morgana to the ground, trying to avoid causing her pain and stood back up, keeping eye contact with the soldiers the entire time. I looked at them darkly.

"It would be… if not for two thing." I said in a monotone. The soldiers laughed again before deciding to humour me.

"And what's that?" The man in the lead asked condescendingly.

"One. She is not. My. Whore." I said furiously, and continued speaking before they could comment. "And two. I am not just a peasant." As soon as the last word left my tongue, I raised my hand. Betraying my secret meant nothing here, because these fools who dared insult Morgana's honor would not live to tell the tale.

"_**Metodsceaft beinnan wærc!" **_I said calmly, as if commenting on the weather, and as if it didn't cause men's anguished screams to echo around off the walls. once again picked up Morgana, trying to ignore the awed and slightly scared look on her face at my show of power. I cast a quick pain relief spell on Morgana so I could run as fast as I could carrying her in my arms, before escaping the castle and leaving the dead guards behind.

**Here we go, managed to get another chapter. Still hoping for ideas for that drabble series by the way…**

**And below is a little spell dictionary I whipped up for my lovely readers:**

"**Slæp" means, "sleep"**

"**swígung" means "Silence"**

"**metodsceaft ****beinnan ****wærc!" means "Die in pain!"**

"**Ábrecan ****þes ****hæfting" means, "Break this lock."**


	21. Arthur

**Arthur's Pov**

"What do you mean Merlin is missing too?" I yelled at the cowering servant before me.

"I'm sorry sire. He went missing yesterday morning." The servant clenched his eyes shut, afraid that he was able to receive some terrible punishment for giving me this news

"You're only telling me this now!" I raged, but stepping away so as to not frighten the servant too much.

"We thought he was sick sire. He left the banquet early yesterday so we figured that he didn't feel well, but we talked to Gaius and he said he had left, but wouldn't tell me where. Shall I pass on a message to the guard to look for him?" He asked. I was suddenly calm as I had a realized what was going on.

"No. That's fine. I will deal with this myself." I said mysteriously, before turning and exiting my chambers. Merlin is with Morgana. The servant is alone with the lady, and I knew why. I had to find them before Uther or the guard did. I was one of the best hunters in the kingdom after all, I could find one servant who couldn't cover his tracks if his life depended on it, as well as the woman who's company he no doubt kept. I could only hope he hadn't been travelling the whole time. If they stopped for a decent amount of time, then I should be able to find them in a few hours.


	22. Crazed

**Translations for spells are in italics next to the spells.**

**Merlin's Pov**

After reaching my horse, I doubled with Morgana and kept riding until we reached a clearing a few miles from the castle. I would have been shocked by the ethereal beauty of the area surrounding me, but I was too worried about Morgana to notice. I placed her on the ground and leant down next to her and placed my hand on her forehead to find it almost scalding. Morgana looked up at me in a daze, her eyes dull and seeming unable to focus on anything. I panicked and tried to look her in the eye.

"Morgana, I need to take the pain relief spell of you so you can tell me where you are hurt okay?" I said, grasping her shoulders. She nodded weakly and closed her eyes.

"Do…what you have to." She rasped, her voice weak and broken. I swallowed and placed my hand on her cheek comfortingly.

"_**edwend þes galdorleóþ." (Reverse this spell) **_I winced in sympathy and sadness when Morgana gasped and bit her lip, obviously trying to hide in a scream of pain. I took her face in both hands but her focus had gone even worse with the return of the pain and her eyes couldn't hold mine. To add to that, her whole body started shaking and I started to worry that she may lose consciousness, and I wouldn't know where to heal her. I wasn't Gaius! __Morgana got a crazed look in her eyes and when she looked at me she started to thrash, forcing meto hold her arms to keep her from hurting herself. _What have they done to you! _

"Morgana!" I said, trying to get her attention. "Morgana! Listen to me. Where are you hurt? I need to know now! Morgana!" I yelled, not caring who heard.

"It burns!" She screamed. "Not again! Please!" The effort of talking caused her to launch into a massive coughing fit and I tried to stop her from screaming.

"Morgana, calm down. What burns?" _Again? How many times did they do this to her! _Morgana's eyes lost the crazed look and managed to focus on me as she said one word, in a voice that was almost inaudible.

"Poison."


	23. Poisoned

Morgana's eyes rolled back in her head and she went slack. I realized what she meant when she screamed 'not again', and I realised why for just a few moments int he midst of her pain driven madness, that she had been terrified of me. But it hadn't been Morgause who had poisoned her the first time. It had been me.

I knew that Morgause would never use hemlock, as it was no secret to her that both and me Morgana knew of it. If I didn't do something soon, then I knew Morgana would die, I had no doubt. I looked desperately at Morgana on the ground, her skin looking almost as pale as a corpse. I screamed and frustration and punched the ground, before gasping in relief and exasperation. How could I have not thought of this before? I shot to my feet and placed the same spell over Morgana and the horse that I had used earlier to hide them from anyone's eyes.

I was running before I hit the trees.

"**Oh Drakon!"**

I ran back to Morgana, using magic to propel me forward faster and to increase my stamina. I felt powerful, as I always did when the Great Dragon put his knowledge directly into my mind. When I entered the clearing, I saw Morgana lying exactly as I left her, except now her face was an ashen colour and she did not move at all. _No!_ I dropped to my knees beside her and put two fingers on her neck, concentrating for a minute before letting out a sigh of relief. Her pulse was still there, but only just. I rested my hands against her chest and stomach where the poison would do the most damage. Even in the current situation, I had to push away feelings of embarrassment about the way I was touching her. I reached into my mind and breathed out deeply before letting the dragon's magic escape. It was a simple spell, but a powerful one with all of the power of a dragon in it.

"_**Gelácnian!"(Heal!)**_ I roared. Morgana gasped and I felt her chest rise under my hand. She didn't wake but a little colour returned to her face and she squirmed a little in her sleep, not so deathly still as she was before. I sighed in relief and collapsed onto the ground next to her. I knew we couldn't stay here for long but I didn't want to move Morgana now, and risk ruining her recovery. So I lay down beside her and wrapped my jacket around her to keep her warm as my eyes closed against my will, exhausted from the days events.


	24. Confrontation

I was woken by a cold laugh somewhere near me. I sat up automatically, trying to push away the head spin that immediately followed. When the disorientation passed, I looked around me and scowled at the sight I saw. Morgause was standing less than 20 meters from me, her arms crossed over her chest and a cruel smirk on her face. That smirk made me flinch more than anything else, as I would never forget that expression on Morgana.

"You aren't taking her Morgause." I said in a monotone, while my eyes glared daggers at her. If looks could kill, Morgause would be nothing more than a pile of ashes on the floor. Or maybe a melted puddle.

I shook my head to come back from the odd train of thought my mind had wandered down and saw Morgause looking at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Done daydreaming?" She asked, smirking again. Ugh, if I didn't see a smirk again for the rest of my life, it still wouldn't be long enough.

"I'm sick of games Morgause." I said angrily. Morgause grinned before putting on a mock disappointed expression and clicking her time.

"Oh but that's no fun Merlin. Besides, is that how you talk to an old friend? We haven't seen each other in a while." She said, trying to keep a straight face but failing after a few seconds, a smirk once again gracing her face. I closed my eyes to help me restrain my anger.

"A few days in not a terribly long time Morgause, and you are no friend of mine." I said darkly, eyes still closed. I didn't hear any movement but when I opened my eyes again, she was right in my face, glaring at me threateningly.

"I would watch how you speak to me _boy._ You may have a little magic but you will never be as powerful as me." She hissed but I refused to back down. I tilted to my head to the side and studied her.

"Would you care to test that?" I asked, and before she could say anything, I stepped back and raised my hand in front of me. Before she could realize what I was doing, I quickly moved my hand to face one of the surrounding trees.

"_**Heaðorian!" **_I yelled. Dirt erupted from the ground as roots shot out to wrap around Morgause's arms. I wasn't fast enough though and she had her sword out before I could restrain her arms. With vicious curses, she hacked at the roots and freed herself.

"Is that the best you've got?" She sat before screaming an incantation of her own. With a flash of golden eyes, a small log launched itself at me and before I could react, it struck me full in the chest. I was pushed back several meters before landing on the ground with a loud 'thump'. I lay there groaning, winded and unable to get up due to the terrible pain in my chest.

"You were saying?" I heard her ask, and looked up to see her standing over me with a smug grin on her face.

"ENOUGH!" I roared. "Enough games! Enough taunts! I am sick of you reminding me of what you did to _her!_" I said, quickly glancing at Morgana. With a quick gesture, I send Morgause flying across the clearing, to lay stunned and gasping against the trunk of a tree. I stood shakily and walked over to her.

"What I did to her?" She rasped. "First Uther has me hunted and forced me to run my entire life, and when I finally find my sister, you take her away from me too!" She growled, then coughed as the effort proved too much. I looked at her, seeing the same hate and bitterness that I had seen in Morgana not that long ago.

"Kill her." I looked around to see Morgana lying on the ground, still weak from the poison, but staring at me determinedly. But underneath that determination, I saw sadness and pain at the prospect. I turned to Morgause and saw the same emotions in hers, although hers was the hurt that her sister was willing to have her die. I looked back at Morgana, who was finding it harder and harder to keep up her mask. A single tear escaped her and I knew that I could not do anything to hurt her. I made my decision.

"This is not your only choice Morgause. Arthur is not Uther. He is tolerant and destined to bring about a world that is free from magic users and otherwise. But he is not ready, killing Uther will only make things worse. You must see that Morgause." I was crouching beside her now, my voice carrying the conviction I carried.

"He has torn my family apart! He has killed hundreds of my kind, and you expect me to _follow_ him?" She asked incredulously.

"You don't have to follow him, but you need to let him be, and let him die in his own time. Arthur _will_ be the greatest king who has and ever will live, and you want to destroy that?"

"Arthur will be exactly like his father." She spat, before slumping back to the ground, accepting her fate.

"Just kill her Merlin! She can't be saved, she has more reason to hate Uther than even I do. She can never change." Her voice broke at the end and I breathed in deeply.

"Yes. Kill me Merlin. Protect your precious prince." Morgause whispered and I bowed my head before my eyes widened in shock. I don't know why I never thought of this before! I never really wanted to share my innermost emotions with anyone but Morgana, but this was the only way to help Morgause see past her anger and to see the truth. I set my face determinedly and placed my hands on Morgause's forehead. I closed my eyes and joined our minds, pushing all of my emotions and memories of Arthur into her mind, while keeping her memories out of mind. I would have to go much farther than I did for Morgana, who already had some doubt in her mind. Morgause did not. The pressure started to become overpowering but I didn't stop. Memories flashed by fast enough that I only just glimpsed them. Arthur standing up to his father to save Gwen even though she was suspected of being a sorceress. Risking his life to get the Morteus flower that would save my life. Fighting to keep Lancelot as a knight even though he had no noble blood. Helping Mordred escape, even though he had magic. Fighting to protect my village even though it was outside the kingdoms reach. The memories started passing faster and faster. Arthur saving innocent after innocent, standing up for what was right. The memories became nothing more than a blur and my vision started to go red. Both Morgause and I screamed simultaneously and then…nothing.

**Only a few more chapters guys, please review!**


	25. Caught

**This chapter is going to be from Arthur's point of view, but starting around the time that Morgause found Merlin in the clearing. Sorry if this confuses anyone**

Arthurs Pov

"Ow." I muttered as a branch came back and whipped me on my arse. I pushed through the bushes leading my horse behind me as the trees were too low to ride him in here, and I was getting my fair share of cuts and bruises from it too. I cursed as another branch scraped my arm as I walked past and I ripped it off the tree, taking my irritation out on the tree. I heard voices coming from nearby and instantly froze, hoping they hadn't heard me. How could I be so careless and crash through the bushes like I had? I am a hunter! I am supposed to move silently at times like this. I seethed in silence while waiting to see if I would be caught but when the murmuring continued, I breathed a sigh of relief and slowly continued forward, tying my horse to a tree and being careful make a little sound as possible. I stopped when I was close enough to make out the voices. One of the voices was obviously Merlin, but I couldn't work out who the second one belonged too. It sounded familiar somehow, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. But knew it wasn't Morgana, which meant she was still missing. So who was this woman? A girlfriend of Merlin's? I stepped forward and was about to step in the clearing when something stopped me. A feeling. Leaves shuffled beneath me as I crept forward but the pair were too deep in conversation to notice. Rough bark grazed my shoulder as I hid behind a tree to listen as I could hear their conversation clearly now.

"Would you care to test that?" I heard Merlin say darkly and peaked out to see what he was talking about. The first thing I noticed was the person in the clearing with him and I took in a shocked breath. _Morgause._ My surprise at her appearance didn't last long as I saw what happened next. Merlin raised an arm towards her before quickly moving it to the side, facing a tree. He spoke in a language that I couldn't understand but sent shivers through me, but there was no mistaking what it was. My certainty only intensified as his eyes went a gold colour and roots exploded from the ground before wrapping around Morgause's legs.

_Magic._

**Okay readers! This is the chapter that many people have been waiting for. The reveal to Arthur! So I hope this means you will review =) (hint hint)**

**Only 2 or 3 chapters to go so get keen jellybeans!**


	26. Busted

**Morgana's POV**

Merlin and Morgause both lay on the floor, unconscious. Merlin is completely still and colour is rapidly fading from his face. My body drags as I pull myself over to him, hoping I am not too late.

"Merlin?" I whisper, panicked. "Merlin!" I shook him but there was no response. No, don't do this please. Don't die for her. Come back to me. I lean down and pressed my ear against his chest. I let out a sigh of relief as I hear his heartbeat, faint, but there. I quickly check Morgause, but her heartbeat was steady, obviously not losing as much energy being on the receiving end of the memories. Merlin's life is fading though, and I place my hands on his hands, knowing I have to act fast.

"You are not going to die. Do you hear me?" I said determinedly. I close my eyes and breath out, before trying something I had only read about. I find the connection that Merlin and I share in our minds and use it to push some of my small remainder of energy into him. I felt warmth surround me and when I open my eyes, I see us surrounded in a golden light, and I can feel Merlin's heartbeat strengthening. The glow fades away as I sever the connection. The grass was comforting under my hands as I rest against it, my eyes drooping.

"Morgana?" His voice croaked and I looked up to see him with a loving but slightly stern look on his face.

"You used too much energy on me." He says sternly, pulling me to him, where I rested my head against his chest.

"I can never use too much energy on you." I murmur and hear him chuckle. Strong, but surprisingly soft hands turn my face towards him and he brings his lips down to mine. He gasps as he is pinned to the ground under my weight, but I smile smugly as he forgets his shock when I bring my lips to his again. My hands sneak under his shirt and his stomach goes taut at my touch.

"Morgana." He moans and pulls me, if possible, closer to him.

There was a rustle of bushes and an expressionless Arthur comes out of the bushes, sword in hands and muscles clenched.

"Will you come willingly, or do I have to fight you?"

**Reviews are love guys, so I hope you love me =)**


	27. Living A Lie

**Arthurs POV**

The two sorcerers turned to face me, shocked. My face hardens and set into grim lines as realization washed over them. I now know what they are and they would not be able to talk their way out of it. I had seen them with my own eyes.

"Arthur…" Merlin beseeched me.

"I don't want to hear any more lies from you." My teeth grinding together.

"You-" Morgana began and I could feel my face heating up with rage.

"ENOUGH! I don't want to hear your excuses. Enough time for that when we get back to Camelot. Now I will ask only once more. Will you come peacefully, or do I have to make you?" I force my voice to remain steady even though I knew it was all bluff. I had seen Merlin ensnare Morgause just by looking at a tree and whispering a few words. What good would my sword do if I couldn't get in range to use it? Would I even be able to use it, against my two best friends?

Merlin raises an eyebrow for a second, obviously thinking the same as me, but then his expression becomes serious again and he uses the last of his energy to rise, limping toward me. I hold my sword out in front of me but Merlin ignores it, and keeps coming.

"Stay there." I said, fighting to keep the fear out of my voice. He ignores me again and I drop into a battle stance, only to straighten up again in shock at Merlin's next action.

Merlin drops to one knee before me, with the opposite right planted firmly on the ground. His eyes are downcast.

"I will not fight you Arthur. I am at your mercy." His voice portrays the conviction he was feeling, but also slight resignation at his fate. My face softens slightly but my expression becomes stern again before he can see it.

"As am I. I know you will do what is right brother."

_Brother? _My eyes widen and I look for any sign that she was lying, but her expression was serious and calm, as if she didn't realize the importance of what she said. However, she smiled when she saw my expression.

"Ah yes, you know not that you are my brother. I was told by a kind soul once, and I did not even think about it until now. I have always considered you my brother and it is no shock to me. I am happy to call you my kin."

By the way my eyes were widening and my mouth gaping, I thought that I most likely resembled a goldfish and Merlin could not hold back a grin.

"Oh close your mouth Arthur, it is not befitting of a prince to look like he is trying to catch flies in his mouth." I glared at Merlin and close my mouth.

"Don't move." My warning was pointless as they had already agreed to accompany him, but he said it nonetheless. My thoughts were a mess as I walked to my horse, taking rope from the saddlebag and a grimace crosses my face when I turn back to Merlin and Morgana. Merlin held her face between his hands and smiled softly at her, although his eyes were sad.

"And get your hands off my sister!" I said, peeved. Merlin looks at me then turns back to Morgana, planting a quick kiss on her forehead before releasing her.

I approach them with the rope, and they made no complaint when I tied their hands in front of them, nor the whole ride back to Camelot, with Merlin and Morgana sharing a horse, and the still unconscious Morgause sling over the back of mine.

Everything I thought I knew before now has been a lie; my best friend and my _sister _were sorcerers. And I had no idea what to do.

**Almost there guys! Although it turns out there are going to be a few more chapters than I thought. Either way, I am hoping to get 60 reviews by the time this story is finished, so if I reach my goal, thank you all! Thank you, even if I don't.**


	28. Dungeon

**Morgana's Pov**

When we entered Camelot, we had to try and ignore the stares and whispers that followed us. I could just imagine what they were thinking. _Isn't that the King's Ward? … Yes, and that's Prince Arthur's manservant… They say Arthur and his servant are best friends, I wonder what they did to get tied up?_ I shivered at their lack of subtlety when they stared at us and leaned closer to Merlin, not noticeably to our observers, but enough to feel his comfort and for him to lean back into me slightly. We rode under the gates and I sighed in relief when the townspeople could no longer see us. I could feel Merlin relax in front of me too, and felt a bit better that I wasn't the only one uncomfortable under their scrutiny.

Arthur escorted us through the castle and into the dungeons, ignoring anyone who tried to approach him or ask him what was happening. He gets the keys off of one of the guards and dismisses him, against the guard's protest. He opens one cell and lowers Morgause –who had previously been over his shoulder - into it, gentle despite her actions, and locks the door behind her. He opens the next cell and leaves us to walk in ourselves, rather than throwing us in. Others would see this as simple kindness on his part, but I had known him for years, and his cold and withdrawn state merely showed that he wanted to do much worse, and didn't want to come near us in case he went over the edge. I had never seen him do it before, but I had heard Merlin's stories about his reaction when he found out his father was responsible for his mother's death, before Merlin convinced him it was a lie.

"I wish I could say I'm sorry for lying to you Arthur, but I'm not." Merlin said, and I looked at him like he was crazy but he just ignored me and continued speaking to Arthur. "I could not reveal my magic under Uther's rule, as there was still a chance of him finding out. I am not sorry for protecting my secret. However, I am sorry for how much this has hurt you. If only I had done more to convince you that magic can be a force for good, then maybe you would not be so furious with me, but I did not." Merlin's voice was low at the end, and I could tell he was beating himself up inside. I resisted the urge to comfort him, knowing it would only make Arthur angrier. Still Arthur said nothing. He just looked at me and Merlin in turn, as if we were some creature he has never seen or heard of before. His silent glare was too much for me and I had to speak up.

"Please say something Arthur. I can't stand it." I begged. Big mistake. His face turned bright red in anger and he stepped towards us. I flinched back, thinking he was going to hit me, as Uther would have done already. Old habits die hard. Arthur saw the expression on my face and stepped back, but his face was still contorted in fury.

"_You_ can't stand it? YOU!" He shouted. His words echoed around the cell and I winced as the sound assaulted my ears but said nothing. "I go out looking for you! WORRIED about you, and about my STUPID servant, and what do I find? I find that not only are you two together behind my back, but you are both SORCERERS! You have betrayed me! How can I forgive you for this? For lying to me all this time?" His voice dropped to a whisper, but it was even more confronted because of it. "And even if I could forgive you…how can I ever trust you again?" His voice broke and he shook his head before stepping out of the cell, refusing to say more. The boom of the door closing resonates around the stone walls as well as our hearts, which had become heavy a rock. He left us there and Merlin came to my frozen form, and wrapped his arms around me in comfort, and we sat there as we listened to Arthur's footsteps fade away.

**Once again, I am going to ask for any ideas for my other story "Mergana Drabbles" – exactly what the title suggests. So if any plot bunnies decide to invade your mind, feel free to push them off on me, and if they are serious ideas, then I will try and write a drabble for it. **


	29. What Do I Do?

**Arthur's POV**

"_Arthur will be the greatest king who has and ever will live, and you want to destroy that?"_ After seeing Merlin using magic I was frozen in shock, unable to leave the bush where I was hiding to confront him. I could only watch as the scene unfolded, and Merlin and Morgause passed out. Now I had Merlin's words to Morgause bouncing around in my skull, like so many overactive children, making me both weary and proud at the same time. _He could have just said it so you wouldn't execute him. _One part of me argued. _He didn't know you were there._ The other side said. _He has magic. He has betrayed you. _I squeezed my eyes shut and started to pace. _He has always been loyal to you. He could have turned on you by now, but he hasn't._

For some reason, Morgana having magic didn't seem so much of a shock. She had grown up having dreams that would come true; although I would never tell father that. I did what I could to protect her from him. She was like a sister to me. _She is your sister. _My sister. My sister has magic, but I couldn't find it in myself to hate her, or hurt her. Nor could I hate Merlin, but I knew that he was breaking the law, and he betrayed me on purpose. He knew how to control his magic and to use it when he wanted to which Morgana didn't, judging from her nightmares. But Merlin had also protected me with his magic. What was right?

"Ah!" I screamed and picked up a half-filled goblet from the table and launch it full force at the wall. It made a tremendous bang. The guards stayed wisely outside. The red wine slowly dripped down the wall, like the blood of so many executed at my father's hand. Suddenly I was imagining it as Merlin's blood, leaving him at my hand because he has magic. A sharp pain went through me as I collapsed to my knees on the cold stone ground. The world started to shake and I wondered if it was an earthquake, and then realized it was me. My shoulder's trembled violently and tears poured down my face in torrents.

"Why?" I whispered to myself, my voice trembling like the rest of me. Merlin's voice entered my head again.

"_He is tolerant and destined to bring about a world that is free from magic users and otherwise."_ Of course. I always thought he was my friend, no matter how much I denied it, but he was only so loyal to me because he believed I would free his kind. _He has defended your father too, although if he was in your position, Merlin would be dead right now. _I wanted to deny it, but I knew it was the truth.

"_Arthur is not Uther"_ Merlin was right about that too. I always tried to copy my father's example, always seen him as strong, but I was never able to be as cold as him, even if it benefit the kingdom.

"_He has torn my family apart! He has killed hundreds of my kind, and you expect me to follow him?" _I was surprised to realize that Morgause's words were affecting me too, even though they were talking about my father too. I couldn't help but sympathize with her as she let out all her anger and pain, and knowing that there were many others that felt the same.

"_Kill me Merlin. Protect your precious prince"_ Morgause's mocking but defeated tone stung me, although I had no reason to feel any sympathy for her. But Merlin couldn't kill her. It just wasn't in his nature. Or was it? I remembered all the times Merlin had disappeared and come back looking haunted and vulnerable, but at the same time, his eyes seemed older and wearier. I could never work out what made him so distant, but what if that was it? What if he had killed people while trying to protect me? I remember all the times that problems had just disappeared without a reason, and no one had come forward to claim credit for it. And what about the times mysterious things happened when we were in a tight spot, like when the girth strap on a bandits horse came undone or that chandelier fell on that witch when Merlin first came to Camelot? It was Merlin. _It's always been Merlin. He has only ever protected you. _

And that was when I realized.

I would be dead without Merlin.


	30. Arthur's Decision

**First of all, I have to thank the anonymous reviewer for their big review. I have taken all your comments into consideration, although I should tell you that I meant for the forgiving process to be sped up by Merlin pushing his memories directly into Morgana's mind, so she cannot doubt his sincerity and his regret. However, when I make another story, I will try harder to make it more realistic for those who don't like that this story is going too fast.**

**Merlin's POV**

I huffed in irritation as I was shoved roughly into Arthur's chambers. On the other hand, the guards were unwilling to harm Morgana, because they did not know what they had done as of yet. So as I fell onto the floor, Morgana just strolled in, looking every bit of the royal princess. It was probably a good thing too. If they had hurt Morgana, I may have turned them into a toad…or maybe a donkey. Morgana didn't look too happy about their treatment of me either, but I just smiled wryly at her and shrugged. I didn't even flinch when Morgana spoke in my mind, it had become as natural as breathing by now.

_If we get out of this mess, I am going to have a word with Arthur about the treatment the common people get, prisoners or not. The people of Camelot would be helpless without them keeping the place running. Most of the guards and even some of the knights, who are supposed to be honorable, still treat them like crap. _She was sounding very annoyed, and her expression reflected that. I smiled slightly as I replied.

_Indeed. They are probably used to me being in the dungeons by now, but there are many innocents in the dungeons that get treated unfairly, as well as common townsfolk who are looked down on simply because the family they were born into. This is our duty though Morgana. It is up to us to make Arthur change the way things are, and it has already begun, I am the only servant he pushes around now, and he means no harm by it._

I had become so engrossed in our silent conversation that I almost jumped a foot in the air when there was a forced throat clearing in front of me. I looked up to see Arthur looking annoyed, but mostly weary and tired.

"If you have finished staring at each other?" His banter should have been welcome, but there was no emotion behind it, as if he were only teasing me out of habit, nothing more.

"Sorry sire." I was still on the floor where the guards had thrown me, but I bowed my head. I decided it wasn't the best time to tell Arthur that Morgana and I were actually having a conversation. It wouldn't make him trust us any more.

"Stand up Merlin." He said abruptly, and I did, standing tall with my head held high. Morgana stepped up beside me and discreetly placed her hand in mine, but Arthur caught the movement and sighed. He didn't tell us off though, and gestured for the guards to leave. The bowed and backed out of the room, leaving just the three of us in the room.

"Why?" He asked us both, looking Morgana in the eye, and then me.

"Could I ask you to elaborate Arthur?" Morgana asked. Arthur looked directly at her, trying to see if she was insulting him or being genuine. Morgana stared back evenly, the picture of seriousness.

"Why did you learn magic in a kingdom where it is banned, or come here if you had already learned it?" He directed the last part towards me, and I knew that this would be the turning point.

"I didn't." I replied simply and he opened his mouth angrily but I cut him off.

"Let me finish Arthur. I did not learn magic. It was not something that I was taught or something that I studied. I was born with magic Arthur. I was moving things around the house before I could talk. I was born with it as surely as you were born a prince." My voice was grave, and I did not waver my eyes from his the entire time I was talking.

"That's not possible." He replied, but I could see he was unsure. He grew up in a word where magic was banned. He knew next to nothing about it other than what his father has taught him. I did not reply this time, as saying it more than once would not make him believe it any more. He sighed and turned to Morgana. If anything, his eyes seemed even more pained than before.  
>"And you Morgana? Are you going to tell me you were born with it too?" He asked bitterly, only half joking.<p>

"That's exact what I'm going to tell you. Although my magic is a lot different from Merlin's. I was never able to move things around as a baby. Although I can perform spells now, my magic manifested as my visions. I am a seer Arthur. Like Merlin, I could not control my gift." I could see Morgana was getting tired from standing up for so long after he ordeal with Morgause and I looked at her anxiously, then at Arthur. Nevertheless, her voice stayed strong, and she refused to show weakness.

"Your nightmares." Arthur muttered.

"Yes." If anything, Arthur seemed relieved to have it confirmed for him. He stood up and started to pace the room, his expression changing from dull and empty, to confused and hurt.

"How can I accept you? How can I accept magic when my father only ever taught me that it was wrong?" His knees gave out again, and he didn't seem to care that we saw him when he started to cry. Morgana was by his side in a second, putting her arms around him, like a loving sister would. He cried into her shoulder and I walked over to them slowly, and eased myself to a crouch so I could look Arthur in the eye.

"That is up to you. We cannot control your heart Arthur. That is why you will make a great king." He looked at me, and his expression was no longer pained, but resigned. He eased himself out of Morgana's grasp and collapsed back on his chair.

"Show me something." He said, looking directly at me.

"Magic." He looked at me like I was an idiot, and I was slightly relieved to see him looking at me how he did before he knew about my magic. I looked at Morgana again, who despite her best efforts, was swaying slightly and her expression drawn. I didn't bother with an enchantment, but looked at another chair in the room, my eyes glowing gold as I used magic to bring it to a halt behind Morgana, who fell at that exact moment onto it. Arthur's hands clenched and he looked at the chair as if it would come alive. It was at that moment though, that he realized how tired Morgana looked, and a wave of guilt crossed his face. But he also looked slightly surprised, as if he didn't expect us to tire because we had magic. I wasn't sure how he would take this, but I closed my eyes and pushed my mind towards his, not sure is I would be able to talk to someone without magic.

_We may have magic, but we are still human Arthur. She has been tortured and poisoned. She needs rest on a proper bed. I know you care enough about her that you wouldn't want to see her suffer._

By the sudden stiffness in Arthur's posture, I knew he had gotten my message. He looked at the ground, more guilt coming across him.

_Don't feel guilty Arthur. It was not you who did this to me._

It was Morgana who spoke to him now, sending the message to both our minds, obviously getting the same idea as me.

"I have come to a decision." I looked at him expectantly, worry etched into my face. "You are both free to go, on two conditions." I looked at him in shock before a wide grin broke out on my face and bowed lowed to him.

"Thank you Arthur." When I turned, Morgana still stood there, stunned, obviously not believing he would let us go. I wrapped my arms around her waist and she thawed out and wrapped her arms around my neck, before letting go and hugged Arthur, who had stood up from his seat. He was surprised, obviously not having anyone hold him like this in a while, and wrapped his arms around her in return. He smiled slightly and my grin widened to see it. Then I became uncertain.

"What are the conditions?"

"You cannot tell anyone of your magic. I may have accepted you, but my father will not. He will still execute you if he finds out what you are."

"Of course." Morgana and me said in unison. We wouldn't have been stupid enough to do that anyway.  
>"What is the second condition?" Morgana asked, her expression curious. Arthur grimaced.<p>

"Don't talk into my mind unless you absolutely have to." He said ruefully, and the grin returned to my face.

"Of course." I said again.

Morgana and I walked to the door but before we could open it, Arthur calls out to us again.  
>"Wait!" Before we could turn back to him, there was confusion outside the door and shouting. Someone burst into the room, their blonde hair flying and sword flashing, then stopped, surprised to see us all standing there. The guards burst in behind her, using the hesitation to grab onto her wrists. They were about to pull her back out the door when Arthur held up a hand.<p>

"Stop." The guards looked at him in confusion, obviously wondering if he had lost his mind.

"Sire?"

"Are you questioning my judgment?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course not sire!" They said hastily. I rolled my eyes. Bootlickers.

_What are you doing Arthur?_ I asked into his mind again and he flinched.

"She should hear this too." He said out loud, answering my question but also talking to Morgause. I looked down then remembered my decision to give her another chance.

_Morgause, I have already proven that I can best you in magic, and that was when Morgana and I were both weaker than we are now. Don't try to attack Arthur. He si giving you a chance, and if you use it to try and hurt him, I will not hesitate to kill you before you can._

Her expression was inscrutable, but I knew she heard me.

"Leave." Arthur told the guards and they hesitated only a moment this time before hurrying out of the room. Arthur still stood, but looked at the ground for a moment. When he looked up again, his face was drawn and his eyes looked old beyond their years. He looked at each of us in turn, including Morgause who had not yet moved, curious to what he had to say. Arthur stood up straight suddenly.  
>"As you said Merlin, I am not Uther." And for once, he didn't look angry about the comment.<p>

"No Arthur. You aren't." I said simply. He hesitates again before saying what he was thinking.

"I cannot condemn innocent people for something that they cannot control or use only for good. However, I have seen many evil's wrought by magic, although many of them are probably because of lives lost due to the war against magic. I want you to find magic folk Merlin. Convince them that they should not convince Camelot. If they can convince me that the people would be better off with magic free, then when I am King…" He hesitated again.

"When I am King, I will remove the ban on magic."


	31. The Once And Future King

**Morgana's Pov**

We all stood in shock for several minutes in which no-one moved, not even Morgause. Even more surprisingly, she was the first one to break the unnatural stillness that had overcome her. She stepped forward and Arthur tensed, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Morgause eyed it warily but continued forward and dropped to one knee in front Arthur, but kept her head up, showing respect but not being submissive to him.

_Well, that was unexpected. _Merlin said in my head. I was less sure though and stared intently at Morgause, who ignored her. After a moment, Morgause stood up again and Arthur did the same. They looked each other square in the eye, Arthur only being slightly taller.

"I will never kneel to you again Arthur Pendragon, and I will never follow a man who was born and raised as Uther Pendragon's son." Arthur opened his mouth to speak but Morgause cut him off. "I would never have believed you before, despite you proving to be a man of your word, but this one here-" She gestured to Merlin, "Pushed ideas into my head that are not my own and even though I am hesitant to believe them, the promise those dreams bring are enough to stay my hand for now. If what you say is true and not some ploy to make us drop our guard, then I will not plot against you or this kingdom again." The tension that was in the room relaxed as Morgause stepped back from Arthur, her proclamation in the air between them. Arthur nodded sagely at her, and she returned it.

"However, if you break your word, and continue to persecute innocent when you are King, then I _will_ kill you." Her words were dead serious but they brought a small smile to Arthur's lips.  
>"I would expect nothing less."<p>

With a quickly muttered enchantment, Morgause left the room in a tornado of wind, leaving the remaining occupants of the room with windblown hair and clothes. I laughed at the expression on Arthur's face but he seemed not to notice and kept staring at the spot where Morgause had been. I turned to Merlin and grinned, one of the few smiles I had shown in the last few weeks.

"He's done it!" I exclaimed in shock and Merlin looked at me, his expression becoming as dumfounded as Arthur's.

"He's done it." He whispered, gazing at nothing. Of course, his concentrated broke abruptly when I pounced on him, wrapping my legs around his waist and rested my arms on his shoulders. Merlin was forced to take a step back to keep himself balanced but he grinned cheekily at me. That was the final straw. I crushed my lips to his and thus began a battle for dominance in our mouths, both equally stubborn. I gave in and gasped as tugged on my bottom lip with his teeth before moving his lips down to my neck. My head lolled to the side to give him better access. A loud cough in the room reminded us that we weren't alone and Merlin put me down abruptly, instantly looking sheepish. His ruffled hair, swollen lips and boyish expression make an odd contrast and I laughed, to Arthur's chagrin.

"It is not funny Morgana! How would you feel if you saw me and Gwen sucking each other's faces off right in front of you?" He asked, pouting. He seemed to be torn between anger, disgust and amusement.

"Easy. I would laugh and say 'way to go Arthur!' or ask Gwen what the hell was she thinking, going for you?" She replied smugly and Arthur pouted even more, but I could see his lips twitching again. Merlin stepped towards Arthur, his smile wide and it was only then that I realized how false his smiles normally were in public, only turning into a real one in front of me, the only person he could be himself with until now. His shoulder seemed lighter, as if the weight of the entire world had been lifted off his shoulders. I smiled again at the sight. People seemed to be smiling too much today. I was torn from my ponderings as Merlin spoke, his voice laced with joy and pride.

"You did it Arthur. You have shown yourself to be the King who will unite Albion!"


	32. The Darkness To Your Light

**Merlin's Pov**

It was a bittersweet reality to realize that after all that had happened, nothing much had actually _changed. _Not yet anyway. Arthur was in a meeting, like he often did before, and we still had to keep our magic a secret until Arthur is King.

We had escaped to Morgana's chambers, with me standing against the stone wall while Morgana stood in front of me, gazing at me.

As I stared into Morgana's eyes, I saw the joy, love and also the weariness she was feeling. Her skin was soft as I pressed my forehead against hers, and she sighed and leaned into me, dripping my arms for support. I closed my eyes and send tendrils of energy into her body and mind, removing some of the exhaustion that had her swaying on her feet. I opened my eyes and she looked at me gratefully and pressed a chaste kiss to my lips.

She was standing stronger now, not needing me for support at all. A soft smile crossed her face and she kissed me again, her cool lips merging with my warm ones. The kiss quickly deepened and I saw her eyes darken as I pulled away from her before moving to kiss her neck. Her head lolled to the side and she pressed herself closer to me, so her chest was pushed against mine. I groaned at the sensations and the adrenaline that spiked through me. Without Arthur to ruin the mood, we got rougher and impatient. Hands tugged at hair and gasps escaped from lips. I urged her gently so we had switched places and she was against the wall. I lifted her up against the wall and felt my arousal when she wrapped her legs around my waist. She grinned against my neck.

"Is that my sleeping draught in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" She asked teasingly, the seductive lilt to her voice making me groan with desire. I resumed my attack on her neck before moving down to her collarbones and the swell of her breasts, where her breaths were making them rise and fall rapidly.

"I'll leave that to you to decide." I murmured. I let her stand once more so I could reach the back of her dress and fumbled with the laces of her dress.

"I hate these things." I muttered. "_onsælan!" _I hissed and the laces came loose by themselves.

"Cheater." Morgana teased, but stopped complaining as I gently tugged down the shoulders of her dress, leaving her exposed to the cold night air. Before she could worry about it though, I clamped my lips around one them and teased her with gentle tugs and licks. My other hand teased her other nipple and Morgana groaned again, pushing her breasts out. She must have had enough of the teasing because she grabbed my shoulders and pulled me up roughly, kissing me for a second before yanking my shirt over my head.

"A little hasty are we?" I said mischievously. She didn't seem amused.

"Shut up Merlin." She ordered before pushing me over to the bed. My knees hit the edge and I fell backwards onto it and pulled Morgana down on top of me. I huffed but quickly got distracted by Morgana's breasts pushing against my chest. I sat up so she was sitting on my lap and we kissed each other desperately, lips travelling everywhere they could reach. When the build up of tension became too much, I rolled us over so I was on top of her, arms on either side of her head. Her legs widened to cradle my body and I swallowed in anticipation. The desperate need in her eyes was unmistakable, especially as it echoed my own. I kneeled in between her legs and pulled off her dress the rest of the way. The drawers became too much trouble and they tore apart under my hands. She was no longer shy and the haze of lust made me bold enough to kick of my pants off quickly before hovering over her once again.

"Are you sure?" I murmured, ever the gentleman despite the position we were in.  
>"Yes." She breathed. That was all I needed, and with a gasp I pushed into her. Desperate hands clawed across my back as my own moved across her perfectly smooth skin. After a while, Morgana could hold her voice in no longer. She gasped out my name and that was enough. I exploded into her, just a moment before she did the same. I collapsed onto her bare chest, breathing hard but ensuring I kept most of my weight off of her. She gazed up at me before pushing herself up on her arms and kissing me gently, a stark contrast to our most recent...activities. I kissed her back then smirked as she collapsed back on the bed, her arms too weak to hold herself up.<p>

"I guess that means I did a good job?" I asked smugly.

"Shut up Merlin."

* * *

><p>She lay next to me, her hair spread across the pillow and her breaths even. I smiled at her sleeping figure and pulled her closer, being careful not to wake her. The press of her body spooning against me was surreal, despite how long we had been together. We fit together better than any puzzle and I scowled at the thought of the meddling dragon who tried to stop me from having this. What was he thinking? I know Morgana has a dark side to her that will never go away, and I would be deluded to think otherwise. But I don't care. It is who she is and if anything, it makes me love her more.<p>

She is the darkness to my light. The hatred to my love.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

**That's it guys! Stories finished! Finished story reviews? Please? I'm kind of happy that I finally finished it. It makes me feel accomplished to click the little 'complete' button, but kind of sad too. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it, and if I ever make any other stories, that you will read them too!**


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